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AMERICAN BOYS’ SERIES 



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all thoroughly American, by such laro- 
rite American authors of boys' cooks 
as Oliver Optic, Elijah Kellogg, Prof. 
James DeMille, and others, now made 
for the first time at a largely reduced 
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1. Adrift in the Ice 'Fields By Capt. Chas. W. Hall 

2. All Aboard or Life on the Lake By Oliver Optic 

3. Ark of Elm Island By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 

4. Arthur Brown THE Young Captain By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 

5. Boat Club, The, or the Bunkers of Rippleton By Oliver Optic 

6. Boy Farmers of Elm Island, The By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 

7. Boys of Grand Pr6 School By Prof. James DeMille 

8. “ B. O. W. C.”, The By Prof. James DeMille 

9. Brought to the Front or the Young Defenders By Rev. 

Elijah Kellogg 

10. Burying the Hatchet or the Young Brave of the Delawares 

By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 

11. Cast Away in the Cold By Dr. Isaac I. Hayes 

12. Charlie Bell the Waif of Elm Island By Rev. Elijah 

Kellogg 

13. Child of the Island Glen By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 

14. Crossing the Quicksands By Samuel W. Cozzens 

15. Cruise of the Casco By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 

16. Fire in the Woods By Prof. James DeMille 

17. Fisher Boys of Pleasant Cove By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 

18. Forest Glen or the Mohawk’s Friendship By Rev. Elijah 

Kellogg 

19. Good Old Times By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 

20. Hardscrabble of Elm Island By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 

21. Haste or Waste or the Young Pilot of Lake Champlain 

By Oliver Optic 

22. Hope and Have By Oliver Optic 

23. In School and Out or the Conquest of Richard Grant By 

Oliver Optic 

24. John Godsoe’s Legacy By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 


LEE and SHEPARD Publishers Boston 




AMERICAN BOYS’ SERIES — Continued 


*5. Just His Luck By Oliver Optic 

26. Lion Ben of Elm Island By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 

27. Little by Little or the Cruise of the Flyaway By Oliver 

Optic 

28. Live Oak Boys or the Adventures of Richard Constable 

Afloat and Ashore By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 

29. Lost in the Fog By Prof. James DeMille 

30. Mission of Black Rifle or On the Trail By Rev. Elijah 

Kellogg 

31. Now OR Never or the Adventures of Bobby Bright By 

Oliver Optic 

32. Poor and Proud or the Fortunes or Kate Redburn By 

Oliver Optic 

33. Rich and Humble or the Mission of Bertha Grant By 

Oliver Optic 

34. Sophomores or Radcliffe or James Trafton and His Bos- 

ton Friends By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 
36. Sowed by the Wind or the Poor Boy’s Fortune By Rev. 
Elijah Kellogg 

36. Spark of Genius or the College Life of James Trafton By 

Elijah Kellogg 

37. Stout Heart or the Student from Over the Sea By Rev. 

Elijah Kellogg 

38. Strong Arm and a Mother’s Blessing By Rev. Elijah 

Kellogg 

39. Treasure of the Sea By Prof. James DeMille 

40. Try Again or the Trials and Triumphs of Harry West By 

Oliver Optic 

41. Turning of the Tide or Radcliffe Rich and his Patients 

By Rev. Elijah Kellogg 

42. Unseen Hand or James Renfew and His Boy Helpers By 

Rev. Elijah Kellogg 

43. Watch and Wait or the Young Fugitives By Oliver 

Optic 

44. Whispering Pine or the Graduates of Radcliffe By Rev. 

Elijah Kellogg 

45. . Winning His Spurs or Henry Morton’s First Trial .By Rev. 

Elijah Kellogg 

46. Wolf Run or the Boys of the Wilderness By Rev. Elijah 

Kellogg 

47. Work and Win or Noddy Newman on a Cruise By Oliver 

Optic 

48. Young Deliverers of Pleasant Cove By Rev. Elijah 

Kellogg 

49. Young Shipbuilders of Elm Island By Rev. 

Kellogg 

50. Young Trail HuNTEpa By Samuel W. Cozzev^a 


LEE and SHEPARD Publishers Bostoff 



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THE MIDNinilT LAUXCII. —Pa-.' 14G. 



THE PLEASANT COVE SERIES 


$ 


THE 


CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN 


BY 

ELIJAH KELLOGG 

\ I 

AUTHOR OF “lion BEX OF ELM ISLAND,” “CHARLIE BELL, THE WAIF OF ELM 
ISLAND,” “ THE ARK OF ELM ISLAND,” “ THE BOY-FARMERS OF ELM ISLAND,” 

“the young siiib-builders of elm island,” “the HARD-SCRABBLB 

OF ELM ISLAND,” “ ARTHUR BROWN, THE YOUNG CAPTAIN,” “ THE 
YOUNG DELIVERERS,” “ THE CRUISE OF THE CASCO,” “ THE 
WHISPERING PINE,” “THE SPARK OF GENIUS,” “THE 
SOPHOMORES OF RADCLIFFE,” ETC. 





l_ib)r»ury of CongrMtB 

■’wt Cupiu Recejved 

OCT 27 1900 

V CofyrtgM entry 

OvtvvVl,V<^00. 

. SECOND COPY. 

0^i<v«r«d t« 

OROEN 0<VISI0N, 

OC T 30 I90U 



% 


Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1872, 
By lee and SHEPAED, 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 

Copyright, 1900, by Elijah Kellogg. 


All Rights Reserved. 


The Child of the Island Glen. 


' :r !•' ; 





Nortnooh ^Presss : 

Berwick & Smith, Norwood, Mass., U.S.A. 


PREFACE. 


The Child of the Island Glen incidentally 
brings to view tlie shrewdness of those men 
who laid the foundations of our commerce, 
their dexterity in suiting means to ends, the 
indomitable energy with which they grappled to 
opportunities flung in their path by the advent 
of foreign wars and the irregularities of trade, 
while perils and obstacles that would have 
crushed persons of laxer fibre, only roused them 
to greater effort. 

The story, however, is principally intended to 
illustrate the influence of Christian sympathy 
in respect to the most hardened characters, the 


5 


6 


PREFACE. 


imperishable nature of good seed early sown 
in a young heart, the power of conscience and 
early associations, the unbounded mercy of God, 
and exhibits, in the person of a man stained 
with blood and steeped in crime, parental love 
and solicitude for the highest welfare of his 
child (like the flowers that bloom amid the scoriae 
and ashes on the lip of an exhausted volcano), 
surviving the wreck of all other virtues. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTBK I. 

iNTROrUCTORT 9 

CHAPTER II. 

Between Scylla and Chartbdis 32 

CHAPTER III. 

Hoping against Hope 65 

CHAPTER IV. 

Darkest just before Day 68 

CHAPTER V. 

John’s First Lesson in Baby-tending. 87 

CHAPTER VI. 

The Godsoes 107 

CHAPTER VII. 

The Midnight Launch 124 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Stirring News 149 

CHAPTER IX. 

Wadter meets the Outlaw 165 


7 


8 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER X. 

The Madman’s Pass 184- 

CHAPTER XI. 

The Outlaw’s Home 194 

CHAPTER XII. 

Willie of the Glen 206 

CHAPTER XIII. 

The Viper within 217 

CHAPTER XIV. 

The Disclosure 237 

CHAPTER XV. 

The Decision 249 

CHAPTER XVI. 

A Surprise on Board the Osprey 259 

CHAPTER XVII. 

The Love that casteth out Fear 276 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Willie gives away his Playthings 286 

CHAPTER XIX. 

Making Restitution 295 

CHAPTER XX. 

WiLL.E ON Shipboard 306 

CHAPTER XXI. 

Willie and the Pilot 330 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


CHAPTER 1. 

INTRODUCTORY. 

I N Fort Royal Bay, Martinique, as near to each 
other as they can swing at their anchors, lie 
two vessels, both displaying the American flag, 
but as unlike in build and size as can well be im- 
agined. The one is a large ship, enormously large' 
for that day, for it was at an early period in the 
maritime history of the country, when most of the 
ships were from one hundred and flfty to two 
hundred and sixty tons, and some even as small 
as a hundred, a few being built at Wiscasset for 
the transportation of timber, and at some other 
places on the coast, of greater capacity ; but they 
were esteemed monsters, and people thronged to 
see them as curiosities. But this vessel was seven 
hundred tons, heavily sparred, with great breadth 

9 


10 


THE CHILD OP THE ISLAND GLEN. 


of beam, carrying a large amount of canvas, sharp 
ends, of moderate depth, evidently, from her pro- 
portions, not a bad sailer, but constructed for the 
purpose of transporting those immense masts that 
then formed an article of traffic to Cadiz and other 
ports for the use of the Spanish navies, and that 
are not now to be found in the forests of New 
England. Beside her lay a brigantine, French 
built, beautifully modelled, constructed entirely 
with reference to speed, carrying a long eighteen- 
pounder on a pivot amidships, and her bulwarks 
pierced for lighter guns. Both vessels were 
deeply laden, the brigantine, in contrast with the 
mast ship, reminding an observer of a greyhound 
beside a huge Newfoundland. 

Those familiar with the other volumes of the 
series will at once recognize in the ship the Casco, 
Captain G-riffin, and in the brigantine the Langue- 
doc, Captain Gates. The events here narrated 
being more or less linked with the subject of the 
preceding volume, some brief explanation of the 
state of affairs is necessary to render the story 
intelligible to the casual reader. 

Walter Griffin, commander of the Casco, of 
Pleasant Cove, had, on a previous voyage, by one 


INTRODUCTORY. 


11 


of the noblest acts of which humanity is capable, 
incurred the deadly enmity of a planter at Mar- 
tinique, Henri Lemaire. Although owning sev- 
eral plantations on the igland, and residing upon 
one of them, Lemaire had been, for the greater 
portion of his life, a pirate captain, and still 
owned piratical vessels, which he fitted away 
under the guise of slave ships, secreting the 
plunder till sold at his plantations, meanwhile 
supporting the character of a wealth}^ planter and 
merchant. Concealing his intentions under the 
mask of friendship, by means of a letter adroitly 
worded, he succeeded in luring Captain GriflSn 
again to the island. 

When, at length, he found that the Casco was 
ready to sail from Trinidad, where she had gone 
to complete her cargo, Lemaire despatched the 
piratical brigantine Languedoc, belonging to him, 
to lie off Trinidad, intercept the Casco, — she hav- 
ing considerable specie on board, — with orders to 
massacre the whole ship’s company, resigning the 
entire plunder of the ship to his satellites, and 
promising to the captain, in addition, a thousand 
dollars in gold provided he killed Captain Griffin. 

Some years before the circumstance here related, 


12 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


there came to Captain Griffin’s native town a Nova 
Scotia boy by the name of Peter Clash, who, after 
residing there a short time, became so immoral and 
troublesome that he was driven from the place, 
enticing to run away with him an American boy 
named John Godsoe. The two boys kept together, 
went to sea, and, after many adversities, joined a 
piratical crew. Clash became the captain of the 
Languedoc, in Lemaire’s employ, under the as- 
sumed name of Skillings, and Godsoe, his lieuten- 
ant, taking that of Arkwright. 

In the Casco, as passenger, was a young man by 
the name of John Rhines, son of one of her own- 
ers. Clash still cherished a bitter hostility towards 
the inhabitants of Rhinesville and Pleasant Cove, 
adjacent places, at the latter of which the Casco 
was built, and especially by reason of some per- 
sonal matters in relation to John Rhines, whom he 
hated as only the wicked can hate those of exalted 
character and principles. 

All that Clash knew at first was, that Lemaire 
wished him to intercept and kill, if possible, the 
captain and crew of an American ship, against 
who^ captain Lemaire held a grudge ; and it was 
not the first thing of the kind he had done for the 


INTRODUCTORY. IS 

old villain, who, for the greater part of his life, 
had been engaged in the actual shedding of blood, 
but now accomplished his designs, at less risk to 
himself, by proxy. 

When, however. Clash ascertained that this ship 
was manned and olBScered by men from the very 
place whose inhabitants he so sincerely hated, and 
that John Rhines, the object of his boyish enmity, 
was passenger in her, he needed not the incentive 
of plunder to excite him to the utmost efforts in 
furtherance of the purpose of his employer. All 
the burning antipathies and hatred of his boyhood, 
as though invigorated by a long repose, rose in 
arms. He paced the cabin floor of the biigantine, 
gnashing his teeth with rage, and swore that not 
one of them, from the cook to the captain, should 
be left to tell the story. Distrusting the willing- 
ness of his lieutenant to engage in the murder of 
his old neighbors and schoolmates, he concealed 
from him all the circumstances we have narrated. 

In Martinique resided a black cooper, Pierre 
Lallemont, a man of property, intelligence, and 
thoroughly acquainted with his former master’s 
character and history, who had conceived the 
most, sincere affection for Captain Griffin, being 


14 


THE CHILD OP THE ISLAND GLEN« 


attracted to him on account of the very act that 
had roused the anger of Lemaire. This man, 
fathoming the designs of the planter, informed the 
captain of the peril that threatened him ; but the 
American refused to credit it, and all the cooper 
could effect was to persuade him to take on board 
his vessel some small arms. With the shrewdness 
pertaining to his nation, he put on board, as a ven- 
ture to sell again at home, rifles and ammunition 
sufficient to arm five hundred men. With these, 
aided by a resolute crew all accustomed to the use 
of the weapon, he captured the brigantine in lieu 
of being captured by her, killed Clash, and killed 
or drowned all her officers and crew except God- 
soe, who, battered, wounded, and more dead than 
alive, was taken on board the ship without being 
recognized by his captors, though recognizing 
them at once. After some days, however, Rhines 
recollected his features and recalled his name. 
At length, filled with compunction for his past 
crimes, he endeavored to atone for them in some 
measure by aiding to place Lemaire in the hands 
of Captain Griffin, who, running back to Mar- 
tinique in the brigantine, landed at Lemaire’s 
plantation in the night, and sent Godsoe ashore 


INTRODUCTORY. 


15 


after him. Supposing his designs were accom- 
plished, he came on board the brigantine, when he 
was seized and delivered up to the authorities of 
the island, the captain permitting Godsoe to escape 
at the same time in consideration of his services in 
capturing Lemaire, who, being convicted by means 
of papers found on board the brigantine and in his 
house at Vauclin, — the place where they were 
concealed being revealed by Godsoe, — was exe- 
cuted, and his ill-gotten booty, enormous quantities 
of which were found concealed at his different 
plantations, seized and sold at auction by the 
government. The Languedoc, being claimed by 
her captors, the authorities permitted them to 



enacted on board the 


two vessels on whose spars the last rays of the 
setting sun are shining, as they lie quietly at 
anchor in Fort Royal Bay. Yonder boat, pulling 
off from the shore, belongs to the Casco. In the 
stern-sheets are Captain Griffin, Captain Gates, 
formerly his mate in the Casco, whom he now has 
put in master of the Languedoc, with Richard 
Cameron, who was second mate of the Casco, as 
his first officer. The vessels are to sail in the 


16 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


morning, and they have been ashore to settle up 
remaining business, and procure fruit, fresh vege- 
tables, and provisions. 

Most of the characters introduced in this volume 
are, in respect to many of our young readers, 
familiar acquaintances, and we trust that, as the 
tale proceeds, other connecting circumstances will 
introduce themselves to the general reader. 

It was no trifling labor in those days, with the 
old-fashioned windlass and hemp cables from twelve 
to sixteen inches in circumference, a tackle being 
required to hold the turn at the windlass, and two 
or three hands to coil away the slack, to weigh 
anchors as heavy as those of the Casco, she having 
two down and well bedded. 

As Captain Griffin had lost two of his men in « 
the action with the pirate, and must, moreover, man 
the brigantine from the ship^s crew, he was rather 
short of hands, and had shipped four men belong- 
ing to a vessel that was condemned. Never had a 
ship’s company stronger motives to stimulate them 
to effort to make a passage. With the exception 
of the four men referred to, both officers and crew 
belonged to Rhinesville or Pleasant Cove. So 
much time had been consumed in the action with 


INTRODUCTORY. 


17 


the Languedoc, the subsequent return to Fort 
Royal, capture and trial of Lemaire, waiting for the 
settling of his effects, and loading of the brigan- 
tine, that their prolonged absence, they well knew, 
would occasion great anxiety to their relatives at 
home. They pictured to themselves the joyful 
surprise it would produce when they should as- 
tonish them with an account of all that had 
occurred. 

Merrithew,'^ said Danforth Eaton, I reckon 
theydl open their eyes at home when they wake 
up in the morning and see these two craft in Cap- 
tain Rhines’s Cove. Old daddy Godsoe ’ll hyper 
for the shore quicker than he ever did before 
when a vessel got in.” 

If I was going to guess,” said Merrithew, a 
good many other folks won’t be far behind him; 
and 1 shouldn’t wonder if there were some petti- 
coats streaming in the wind.” 

Long before the break of day the clank of the 
windlass-pawls was heard on both vessels, and the 
song of the seamen rose cheerily on the morning 
air. There being a lack of men, the crew were 
divided; a portion of the Casco’s crew went on 
board the brigantine, weighed anchor, made sail at 
2 


18 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


once, hove her to, and left her in charge of the 
cook. 

In the mean time, those left on board the ship 
hove short on the anchors, loosed the topsails, 
mast-headed and sheeted home the fore and miz- 
zen ones. By that time the men had come on 
board from the brigantine. The main-topsail was 
hoisted, the anchors weighed by the united 
strength of both crews and the officers, who, as it 
was an emergency, went to the windlass with the 
men. 

While the ship lay to, and before the crews were 
separated in order to be transferred to their respec- 
tive vessels, Lallemont came on board. 

Captain Griffin instantly took the cooper by the 
hand, and led him forward among the men. 

Boys,” said he, the whole ship’s company owe 
their lives (in the providence of God) to this man. 
Had I not been forewarned by him, we should have 
been overhauled by the pirate in a defenceless 
state and massacred. Take him by the hand and 
thank him.” 

Having thus far, and for the purposes of explana- 
tion, paid all due respect to the two captains in 
addressing them before strangers by their well- 


INTRODUCTORY. 


19 


merited titles, we shall now take the libertj^ as 
the humor seizes us, or circumstances render it 
appropriate, to make use of the old familiar names 
of Walter and Ned. 

As, pacing the deck, Walter looked back^lpon 
Martinique fading in the distance, and the bold 
outline of Diamond Rock at its southern extremity, 
he reflected upon the great change that had taken 
place in his situation and feelings within the last 
few weeks. 

At one time it seemed more than probable that 
the ship and crew, himself and Ned, would fall a 
prey to buccaneers, and their lives pay the forfeit 
of his overweening confldence in the professions 
of Lemaire. But now they were all on their home- 
ward passage, and Lemaire and his assassins had 
met their deserved fate. 

Walter had made large profits on his outward 
cargo, and the vessel was loaded as deep as she 
could swim with a cargo that he had bought at a very 
low rate when Lemaire’s hoards were broken open 
and the contents sold at auction, though the vessel 
belonged to the ship’s company. He was also tak- 
ing home a quantity of specie, as his outward cargo 
more than paid for the return one of the Casco, the 


20 


THE CHILD OP THE ISLAND GLEN. 


Languedoc^s cargo having been purchased with 
money found on board of her. 

The only qualifying element mingled with this 
cup of bliss was the reflection that, while his ar- 
rival would bring happiness to the greater portion 
of his neighbors, he must carry home to two fami- 
lies the sad news of the death of those they were 
anxiously expecting. Then his thoughts reverted 
to John Godsoe and his probable future, and he 
occupied himself in various surmises in respect to 
it, whether he would abide by the resolutions he 
had formed and expressed while wounded and on a 
sick bed, and in the society of his early friends, or 
if they would vanish with returning health, and he 
go back to his old haunts, companions, and employ- 
ments. He had heard the remark of Danforth 
Eaton to Merrithew in respect to Godsoe’s father, 
and well knew that the moment the old gentleman 
heard of his arrival he would come to inquire if he 
had seen or heard any tidings of his long absent 
boy. 

“ There goes Ned,’^ he said to himself, gazing 
wistfully at the brigantine that, almost within hail- 
ing distance, was rapidly passing to windward. 
He waved his hat to Ned, who instantly returned 


INTRODUCTORY. 


21 


the signal. I wish you was here, old boy, to talk 
over all these matters with me. This having two 
brothers in different vessels is not a very agree- 
able arrangement.” 

It was something of a trial to Walter and Ned to 
be separated. They had grown up together from 
before the mast to their present positions, been in 
the same watch, slept mach of the time in the same 
berth, spent their time together when on shore, and 
had no secrets from each other. 

Was there ever a handsomer or a smarter craft 
than that, Mr. Lancaster,” said Walter to his mate, 
pointing to the Languedoc, that, with all her canvas 
set (the wind being light), was fast showing her 
stern to the ship. 

Can’t say as I ever saw any, cap’n, but there 
will be others built as smart, for it will be but very 
little while arter Charlie Bell gits a squint at that 
craft before he copies her model ; he’s mad on sharp 
vessels, and hates mortally to build a full ship.” 

“ You are right there, Lancaster,” said John 
Rhines, who just then came on deck; “ he got the 
model of the Arthur Brown from a privateer that 
he saw in Portland, — or rather a vessel that had 
been a privateer in the last war.” 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 

“ But he improved on the model,” said Lancas* 
ter, “ for the Arthur outsails the privateer.” 

I don’t believe he can improve on the brigan- 
tine,” said Walter. 

“ Yes, he will,” replied John ; “ he’ll improve on 
anything.” 

Notwithstanding the greater speed of the brig- 
antine, the two vessels kept company very well 
during the homeward passage, for the brigantine 
was deeper in the water than the ship, as Captain 
Griffin, finding that he could buy the merchandise 
discovered on the plantation of Lemaire very cheap, 
had put into her every pound he dared, and being 
sharp it brought her low in the water ; whereas 
the ship, being more burdensome, could cafrry her- 
self full without loading so deep. Thus in mod- 
erate weather the brigantine left the ship, and was 
obliged to shorten sail at times to let her come 
up ; but in heavy blows this sharp vessel, going 
right through it and not rising much, was all 
under water, and the ship, by reason of her great 
breadth of beam, able to carry sail, had the advan- 
tage. 

Captain Rhines, after abandoning the sea, de- 
voted himself, with as much energy and good 


INTRODUCTORY. 


23 


judgment, to the cultivation of the soil, as he ever 
had to the business of his calling. Brought up in 
boyhood on a farm, naturally attached to the soil, 
he now, with means and time at his command, in- 
dulged those inclinations which the pressure of 
circumstances had prevented him from grati- 
fying in former years. His health was firm, and, 
belonging to a race remarkable for physical power, 
though past middle life, he still retained the 
strength for which he had been distinguished in 
his manhood, but slightly diminished by age. De- 
lighting in labor, he worked constantly with his 
own hands, and nothing gratified him more than to 
get his seed into the ground and his hay cut before 
his neighbors, especially Edmund Griffin, between 
whom and himself there existed a good-natured 
rivalry. 

The captain’s land was high and warm, his fields 
lying along a sunny slope by the water’s edge, and 
sheltered by dense woods on the north and north- 
west. It was the last week in April ; the captain 
was breaking up a piece of ground for corn on the 
highest and warmest portion of the slope, deter- 
mined to beat Edmund Griffin that year, if possible. 
If there was any kind of labor the captain loved 


24 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


more than another, it was to hold a breaking-np 
plough. He said it was just like steering a ship. 
On this occasion he was provided with six oxen, 
Joel Ricker, a most accomplished teamster, whom 
he had taken out of Charlie Bell’s saw-mill for the 
purpose, sending another man in his room, and 
Tom Valentine to clear the plough, one of those 
vast wooden affairs used in the days of our fathers, 
but that would do the work nevertheless, if there 
was only strength enough to haul them. The day 
was fine, warm enough for comfort and not too 
warm for the cattle, help abundant, an excellent 
team, and the ground just wet enough to turn 
well ; but with all these circumstances in his 
favor, the captain, who prided himself upon his 
skill in holding a breaking-up plough, made very 
poor work. The ground was some rocky, sloped 
moderately towards the bay, and one half the fur- 
rows must be turned up hill. The plough was 
often out, necessitating frequent backing up of the 
team, and many furrows on the upper side fell 
back. Ricker said afterwmrds he never knew the 
captain to make such poor work as he did that 
day. 

1 don’t see what ails this plough,” said the cap 


INTRODUCTORY. 


25 


tain ; she don’t go well at all : and I had the irons 
new laid this spring. The fellow has set the point 
wrong somehow. Since old Uncle Elwell gave up 
work there’s nobody round here is worth a cent 
to make plough-irons. Lengthen the chain, Tom, 
and see if she won’t crave the ground more.” 

The chain was lengthened and the chain was 
shortened, the clevis was shifted, she was made 
to land more and she was made to land less, but 
still the work was no better done. 

It’s in the set of the irons,” said the captain. 

I’ll have ’em altered to-morrow.” 

The fault, however, was not in the plough, nor 
the work of the blacksmith ; but while the cap- 
tain’s feet were in the furrow his mind was out 
on the ocean, brooding over the long absence of 
his son, Walter Griffin, Ned Gates, and the crew 
of the Casco, in which nearly every family in the 
neighborhood was represented. In vain he re- 
viewed the record of his long seafaring experi- 
ence to find a parallel case of so long detention 
in so short a voyage, without fatal results. Thus 
he canted the plough towards the land when he 
should have canted it to the furrow, and to the 
furrow when he should have canted it to the land, 


26 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


for his heart ached while his hands grasped the 
hand es, and his thoughts were otherwhere. Of 
all people, a seafaring community cherish most 
decided opinions in regard to luck, and fortunate 
individuals born under a lucky planet. 

Captain Rhines, from his first going to sea, had 
been peculiarly fortunate, and, though he ever held 
to the opinion that luck consisted in a good look- 
out, such was not the belief of the neighbors. 
They considered him a lucky man, and that what- 
ever he touched would prosper. The result of 
this belief was, that everybody wanted to go with 
him, and to be^ concerned with him, as he was a 
man of most noble spirit, and would spare no effort 
to aid an enterprising and worthy youth, A large 
proportion of the captains in the community owed 
rapid advancement to his good offices, having be- 
gun before the mast with him. 

The most singular illustration of this belief in a 
lucky star occurred when the captain, after, as he 
thought, relinquishing forever a seafaring life, un- 
dertook to navigate a raft of boards to Cuba. 
Half the young men in town rose up at once, and 
wanted to share his fortunes ; and what was more 
singular still, their parents made no objection, for 


INTRODUCTORY. 


27 


they said if Captain Ben Rhines undertook to 
go to Cuba in a bread-trough, luck would go with 
him. This sentiment extended even to property, 
or speculations in which he was interested, and it 
was a common saying, that, if Captain Rhines or 
Lion Ben (his son) owned a share or a timber- 
head in anything, it was insured. 

The captain was passionately fond of gunning 
and fishing ; knew all the shoals and banks where 
the fish fed, the bait they preferred, and the time 
of year and tide at which they were best taken. 
But overlooking all these considerations, whenever 
Captain Rhines brought home a boat-load of fish, 
while others returned empty-handed, the neighbors 
would say to each other, ‘‘ Ah, that’s just the 
Rhines’s luck.” This notion, thoroughly inwrought 
with the opinions of men, exerted a wonderful in- 
fluence in quieting the fears of the community, 
thirty of whose members went to sea in the Casco, 
and she overdue more than two months. They 
did not know what to make of it, but guessed it 
would all come out right ; everything the captain 
had ever been concerned in always had ; and, 
though some few began to say that perhaps his 
luck was going to turn, the majority were still dis- 


28 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


posed to trust Providence and Captain Rhines. 
But the captain was greatly disheartened himself, 
though he put a good face on the matter, concealed 
his anxiety from his family and the neighborhood, 
and dreaded to go to the store or post-office, as 
every person he met was ready to ask his opinion 
in respect to the ship. 

The sun was getting low, and the captain had 
worried thus far through the day with a heavy 
heart. A large rock lay in the furrow, that the 
plough had gone over several times and skinned 
the sod from, at the last bout canting it out of the 
ground. 

Captain,” said Valentine, hadn’t we better 
stop the cattle, get the crowbars, and heave that 
rock on top of the furrow?” 

“ Let it be,” said the captain, pointing to the 
shore ; that little boy of mine has just landed in 
the cove ; he’ll throw it out for us.” 

‘‘ Throw it out ! ” said Tom ; a rock big enough 
for a yoke of oxen to haul.” 

“ You’ll see what you will see, Tom,” replied 
Joel Ricker, who, as some of our readers doubtless 
recollect, had enjoyed actual experience of the 
strength of Lion Ben, “ when he puts them ere 
pretty little shoulders of his down to it.” 


INTRODUCTORY. 


29 


In a few moments the great bulk of Lion Ben 
made its appearance. He was accompanied by his 
wife Sally, and carried in one hand a pail of sap 
sugar and a pair of wild geese, a present for his 
father. 

“ Glad to see you both, right glad^” said the cap- 
tain, grasping their hands. ^^What^s the news 
from the island, Ben ? 

We are all well as can be.’^ 

Glad to hear it ; good news is scarce nowadays. 
How is it about the fowl ? ” 

“I was off in my float yesterday; shot three 
wild geese and four whistlers. Joe Griffin was 
over to Smutty Nose, and got five geese and a 
seal. We wanted something from the store. Sal- 
ly wanted to do some trading, and it was a pleas- 
ant afternoon, so I thought weM come across.’^ 

“ Ben, there’s a rock lies in the furrow just on 
the fall of the hill. I wish you’d throw it out of 
the furrow, as you go along.” 

I will, father ; but have you heard from the 
boys ? ” 0 

Not a word, Ben, of any kind, except that they 
arrived at Martinique.” 

That is strange ! ” 


30 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


The rock, towards which Ben now proceeded, 
was hidden from view by the inequality of the 
ground; but when the team came round to the 
spot, it was lying on the surface of the furrow, and 
Ben and his wife were half way to the house. 

“ Well,” said Tom Valentine, ever since I was 
a little shaver, I’ve heard the greatest stories about 
Lion Ben, but I believe ’em all now ; and they say 
his brother John is as stout as he is.” 

No, he ain’t,” said the captain. “ Make Ben 
mad, and he’d lift John and his load ; but that’s 
not saying John ain’t a very powerful man.” 

The horn now blew for supper. 

This ground is rooted up ; it ain’t ploughed, 
said the captain. ‘‘ Take the plough to the house. 
I’ll have it to the blacksmith before I use it 
again. Wife,” said he, as he entered the kitchen, 
now if you want that turkey set. I’ll put the eggs 
under her before I wash myself.” 

I guess I won’t have her set to-night, Ben- 
jamin.” 

Why not? You asked me to do it this morn- 
ing.” 

‘‘ I know it; but the dog’s been howling dread- 
fully this afternoon ; they say it’s a bad sign when 


INTRODUCTORY. 


31 


a dog howls. I’m afraid the turkey won’t do 
well.’’ 

0, wife, I didn’t know you was so superstitious 
as that ! ” 

“ I don’t believe there’s anything in it ; but I’d 
rather you would set her in the morning. Besides, 
I’ve got to borrow a sitting of duck’s eggs of the 
widow Yelf, to put under a hen ; then you can set 
both at once.” 

Whenever Ben and Sally came over from Elm 
Island to his father’s, it had always been a jovial 
meeting ; but now it was otherwise, by reason of 
the uncertainty in respect to the fate of the Casco, 
which weighed upon the minds of all. Indeed, 
Ben and Sally could very well have dispensed 
with their errand at the store ; but it was the hope 
that some news of the Casco had been obtained 
that drew them to the main land, as they could 
hear nothing on the island except through some 
chance visitor. 


BETWEEN SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS. 




CHAPTER 11. 

BETWEEN SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS. 

I N order that our young readers may under- 
stand the peculiar and trying circumstances 
in which all concerned in navigation were placed 
at that time, it will be necessary to make some 
brief reference to the singular complications ex- 
isting between their native land and the great 
European powers. 

We could wish it might engage them to improve 
whatever opportunities may be afforded them to 
obtain an accurate knowledge of the events con- 
nected with the formation of the Federal Union, 
and the remarkable manner in which, during its 
infancy, it was preserved by divine Providence 
from the dangers that threatened its existence, 
both from civil dissensions and foreign enemies. 
Perhaps all our young readers are aware, that in 
the conflict with Great Britain for independence, 


BETWEEN SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS. 


33 


we were aided by France with men and money; 
that an alliance was formed between the latter 
country and the United States, both in respect to 
warlike and commercial purposes ; that the vessels 
of one traded freely in the ports of the other, and 
that American vessels enjoyed the privilege of 
trade with their West India islands, carrying there 
our lumber, fish, vegetables, and live stock, and 
taking back sugar, molasses, coffee, spices, and 
other products of those islands, and that this con- 
tinued after we had accomplished our indepen- 
dence. 

In respect to the British and Spanish govern- 
ments, who held possessions in the West Indies, it 
was not in accordance with their policy to permit 
other nations to trade with their West India 
islands or colonies, and they endeavored to pre- 
vent it by the most stringent laws, and to compel 
the inhabitants of their colonies to trade only with 
the mother country. This had also been the policy 
of France, and of all European nations to a greater 
or less extent. These regulations, however, were 
always evaded. It is but a few years, compara- 
tively, since the Spanish West India ports have 
been made free to some extent, the policy of 
3 


34 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


Spain in respect to her colonies being extremely 
rigid ; yet there was an enormous smuggling trade 
carried on with Cuba, and the other Spanish 
islands, long before the revolution by the Ameri- 
cans, as those islands could never sustain them- 
selves without supplies from other sources ; and as 
their inhabitants were often reduced to extremity 
by hurricanes, earthquakes, or drought, the home 
governments were compelled at such times to sus- 
pend their regulations for a while, and permit trade 
wdth foreign countries. The governor generals of 
the islands also were allowed a discretionary pow- 
er, and could give foreign vessels a license to trade, 
or, in case of distress, permit them to discharge a 
part or the whole of a cargo to repair, to sell suffi- 
cient to pay the expense of repairs ; and by the 
connivance of the authorities of the islands, who 
found their account in it, the captains would often 
contrive to be in distress, discharge, sell, and load 
again with the produce of the islands. 

Our readers will recollect that Captain Rhines 
got a license to trade of the ’captain general of 
Cuba, when he was in the Ark. 

Before the revolution, our vessels — we being 
colonies of Great Britain — had free access to the 


BETWEEN SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS. 


35 


British West India ports ; and what with free trade 
to the British, plenty of smuggling to the Spanish, 
and trade to the French islands, — for they also 
allowed trade in vessels of sixty tons, — American 
ship-owners were making large fortunes, and driv- 
ing a most profitable trade. 

But after our separation from Great Britain, we 
became, in respect to them, a foreign nation, and 
this trade was cut off — that is, cut off by the Eng- 
lish navigation laws — cut off on paper. We had 
no commercial connection with England by treaty 
for many years after the war of the revolution. She 
acknowledged our independence, and made a trea- 
ty of peace with us, but not of commerce. Our 
vessels, to be sure, went to the English ports, and 
English vessels came here, but it was only at the 
pleasure of the British government, and in virtue 
of regulations made from year to year. There 
was no treaty, and England might at any time shut 
her ports against us, or lay exorbitant duties. 
We would notask her to make a commercial treaty 
with us, and she would not offer to make one. 
But, though Ave were excluded by the English 
navigation laws, in common with all foreign na- 
tions, from the West India islands, this did by no 


36 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


means stop all intercourse with those islands, for 
the reasons already spoken of, and others we shall 
now mention. 

The English merchants and inhabitants of those 
islands wanted the American produce, because the 
Americans could, and would, supply them more 
promptly, cheaply, and with articles of better qual- 
ity than their own people in Nova Scotia. Winter 
or summer, sickly or healthy, only inform the Yan- 
kees there was a demand, and the American brigs 
and schooners, loaded decks to the water, made 
their appearance. They were also old acquaintan- 
ces, had traded together before the separation, and 
were determined, if possible, to continue to do so. 
There was another reason that rendered this trade 
particularly valuable to the Americans. They 
could sell cargoes at the English islands for cash, 
go to Trinidad or some of the Dutch islands, and 
buy molasses cheap, and, after purchasing a return 
cargo, have money left. 

At that period there was great poverty in the 
States ; the country was oppressed with debt, and 
the old Continental money not worth more than 
ten cents to a dollar. Thus you see how strong 
the motive was on the part of the Americans. 


BETWEEN SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS. 


37 


The great obstacles in the way of this clandestine 
trade was, or, rather, would have been if they had 
done their duty, the custom-house officers, govern- 
ors of the islands, and the English fleet on the 
West India stations. But the custom-house offi- 
cers cared a great deal more about filling their 
own pockets, and so did the governors, than they 
did about his majesty’s interest, or in carrying out 
the regulations of the navigation act, which was, 
that all trade to and from the British West Indies 
must be in British-built vessels, owned by British 
subjects, with the masters and two thirds of the 
crew British. It was also the duty of the com- 
manding officer of the fleet to see that these regu- 
lations were enforced ; but they cared still less 
about it, and left the matter to the governors and 
custom-house officers; and when Nelson, in 1783, 
undertook to break up this system of connivance at 
the violation of revenue laws, he drew down upon 
him the wrath of all the custom-house officials, 
merchants, and inhabitants of the islands. The 
American captains, whose vessels he had seized, 
instigated by them, sued him for damages, as he had 
seized their vessels after the customs had admitted 
them. His own superior officer refused to sustain 


38 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


him, and he dared not leave his ship for eight 
weeks to go on shore, for fear of arrest on civil 
suit. 

It cost an American captain, at that time, five 
joes (a Portuguese eight dollar gold piece) to 
obtain permission to unload. This was the state 
of affairs for many years after the war of inde- 
pendence. The Americans had access by treaty 
to the French ports, both in Europe and the West 
Indies. The Dutch had been friendly to the 
Americans during the war of independence, per- 
mitted the American privateers to harbor in their 
West India ports, and protected them ; but in the 
last year of the war a commercial treaty was made 
with them, affording access hy treaty to their 
home ports and West India islands, St. Eus- 
tatia, St. Martin, Curagoa. The United States 
also were in treaty with Sweden, enjoyed access 
to her home ports, and the West India island of 
St. Bartholomew. With Denmark there was no 
arrangement of any kind, but trade was permitted 
with the Danish West India islands. 

The United States were extremely anxious to 
effect a commercial treaty with England, and to 
obtain the freedom of her West India ports. It 


BETWEEN SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS. 


39 


was more profitable than all the other trade put 
together. The English merchants were able to 
give long credit, which, in the great scarcity of 
money, was a vory important matter. Notwith- 
standing the irritation caused by the war, they 
were the same people, kindred by blood and edu- 
cation, and had always been accustomed to dealing 
with each other ; but, for reasons that it would 
carry us too far to state, the English government 
repelled the advances that after a time were made 
by the States, and refused to make any commercial 
treaty ; and thus the matter rested. But when 
the revolution broke out in France, a great change 
in the disposition of the English government was 
manifest; Great Britain could not be unmindful of 
the alliance, offensive and defensive, and the com- 
mercial treaty that had existed for years, between 
the French government, just overthrown, and the 
United States : they were also informed of the 
sympathy manifested in the United States for the 
new republic, against which they had now de- 
clared war. They recollected that in the war of 
the revolution the American privateers had cap- 
tured six hundred and fifty English vessels ; that 
since that period their merchant marine and the 


40 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


number of their seamen had vastly increased, and 
should the United States make common cause with 
the French republic, as was natural and probable, 
the ocean would swarm with American and French 
privateers, fitted out in American ports to prey 
upon British commerce. In this altered state of 
things, a commercial treaty was made between 
England and the United States of America, in 
which their East India ports were opened to 
Americans. The British government also con- 
ceded the right to trade with their West India 
islands in vessels of seventy tons burden ; but it 
was coupled with conditions that the United 
States could not accept, and thus the West India 
trade remained as it was. 

Prior to the conclusion of this treaty with Eng- 
land, and after the outbreak of the French revo- 
lution, was a most perilous and trying period for 
American commerce. The French republic, that 
succeeded the old monarchy, at first threw open 
their ports to us, expected us to make common 
cause with them against Great Britain, and to 
reciprocate the favors we had received from that 
nation in the war of independence. England, on 
the other hand, having command of the ocean, cap- 


BETWEEN SCYLLA AND CHARYBDTS. 


41 


tured all neutral vessels bound to France or 
French ports. American vessels were thus con- 
stantly exposed to seizure by the English; but 
when, on the other hand, the French found that 
the United States were to remain neutral, and 
intended to make a commercial treaty with Eng- 
land, their privateers and men-of-war began to 
capture all American vessels bound to English 
ports. 

But even this was not all. The Algerines were 
the enemies of the human race, and only kept in 
order by fear or bribery. When we were colonies 
of Great Britain, American vessels that navigated 
the Mediterranean were furnished with passports 
from the English government, who paid a tribute 
to the Barbary powers in order that their vessels 
might not be molested ; but, as we were no longer 
colonies of Great Britain, this protection, of course, 
was withdrawn, and the Dey of Algiers, knowing 
that, having no navy, the Americans were unable to 
punish him, seized upon their vessels found in 
the Mediterranean, and even in the Atlantic, and 
the crews were made slaves. 

In addition also to the Algerines were the 
pirates that infested the West India islands and 


42 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


the Spanish Main. Thus the dangers arising from 
storms, contagious diseases, and the ordinary 
vicissitudes of their profession were the least of 
the perils seamen of that day encountered. 

We have introduced these statements that our 
young readers may understand the position in 
which masters and owners of vessels were then 
placed, the fearful risks run, the perils encoun- 
tered, and especially that when, having read in 
books that the British and Spanish nations ex- 
cluded foreigners from all trade with their West 
India colonies, and then, perhaps, in some newspa- 
per of the same period, see American vessels by 
scores reported as arriving from those very 
islands, they may understand that they obtained 
entrance either by license from the governors, 
bribery of the custom-house officers, false regis- 
ters, sailing under English or Spanish colors, or 
some other of the many evasions known to sea- 
men, or, perhaps, as was often the case by reason 
of the home governments, in some peculiar exi- 
gency on account of famines, necessity for lumber 
or materials of war, opening the port for a short 
time, for all those West India islands were, to a 
greater or less extent, dependent for food, clothing. 


BETWEEN SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS. 


43 


and lumber to build their houses and sugar-mills, 
hogsheads, boxes, and bags for their sugar and 
other products, upon those nations whose tea and 
coffee they sweetened. 

But there was no other cause that so compli- 
cated the affairs of tiations, introduced such risk 
or confusion into mercantile affairs, opening some 
ports that had been heretofore close sealed, and 
shutting others that had been accessible, as war. 

Great Britain was at war with France, and was 
gradually bringing all the other monarchies of 
Europe, already in spirit hostile to the French 
republic, to become parties with her. In all wars 
it was the custom and the law of nations that neu- 
trals, or, in other words, those nations that had 
nothing to do with the quarrel, might continue 
their trade with either or both the contending 
parties as before on certain conditions, unless a 
port was blockaded, in which case they were 
liable to capture, and became a lawful prize. 
They were not to carry to the ports of either 
party articles that were contraband (or enemy’s 
property), under which head was generally in- 
cluded warlike materials, arms, and whatever 
might serve directly for the equipment of v - i 


44 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


or of armies : provisions were not in general con- 
sidered contraband, nor any other goods or metals 
that have not been worked into the form of any 
instrument or thing for the purpose of war by land 
or sea-. 

Our readers will see that this left out pro- 
visions, tar, pitch, masts, ship timber, ropes, 
cables, tobacco, fish, and those very articles that 
the Americans as neutrals could best furnish. 

But Great Britain, being mistress of the ocean, 
could do as she pleased, and had always, in all her 
wars, wherever she possessed the power, enumer- 
ated among contraband articles not only weapons 
and those articles that might serve for the equip- 
ment of ships, but even the materials in their raw 
state, as hemp, cordage, timber for ship building, 
and, in the treaty that England made with 
America in 1794, these articles were specified as 
contraband ; the clause in regard to provisions was 
very adroitly worded. It provided that (as this 
was a case where there might be doubt and diffi- 
culty in agreeing as to whether provisions were 
contraband or not) whenever said articles, becom- 
ing contraband according to the existing law of 
nations, shall for that reason be seized, they shall 


BETWEEN SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS. 


45 


not be confiscated, but the owners shall be com- 
pletely and speedily indemnified for the full value 
of the articles, with’ a reasonable and mercantile 
profit thereon, together with freight and also the 
damage incident to such detention. 

You will perceive that whether provisions were 
contraband or not was to be determined by the 
existing law of nations. Now, as Great Britain 
possessed the power, and had always made pro- 
visions and everything, wrought or unwrought, 
that could possibly be found in the equipment of 
vessels, contraband, she defined her own practice 
as being the standard of judging and the existing 
law of nations, because it was her practice and for 
her interest. The war with France, in which she 
was now' engaged, was different from all other 
contests that had ever occurred between them ; it 
was a bitter, implacable w^ar, in which the fiercest 
passions on both sides were called out. No sooner, 
then, was war declared by France against England, 
than the former threw open all the ports of her 
colonies to the flag of every nation with whom she 
was at peace, and shortly after issued orders to 
the commanders of French naval vessels to seize 
all neutral vessels bound to British ports ; and in 


46 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


one month after, the British government ordered 
their cruisers to seize all vessels bound to French 
ports with provisions, or to any port occupied by 
the arms of France. It was far better, however, 
to fall into the hands of the English, when bound 
to a French port with provisions, than into the 
hands of the French when bound to an English 
port, because, according to the treaty of 1794, the 
English were obligated to pay for yoiii’ cargo, and 
did pay, while the French did not ; and it was 
downright robbery. The provision order was re- 
voked in August, by reason of the remonstrance 
of the United States; but, in November of the 
same year, another order was issued, ordering 
British cruisers to seize and bring in for adjudica- 
tion all ships laden with goods, the produce of 
any of the French colonies, or carrying provisions 
or other supplies for the use of such colonies. 

These orders from Great Britain and France, 
had they been enforced, would have cut up the 
neutral trade, as it were, by the roots, but resulted 
in opening the ports on both sides, and just in pro- 
portion as it made trade more dangerous, made it 
more profitable, provided one was possessed of 
pluck to undertake it, and had the good fortune or 
ability to run clear of the cruisers. 


BETWEEN SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS. 


47 


We will illustrate the operation of these princi- 
ples. The English have a naval station at Barba- 
does, where are assembled a large fleet. Provis- 
ions are scarce on the island. The English supply 
ships have some of them been captured by French 
cruisers, or wrecked, and the fleet cannot move for 
lack of provisions. By the British navigation laws 
no trade is allowed with foreign vessels. At this 
juncture an American brig, the Henry, from New 
London, heaves in sight, laden, decks to the water, 
with bread, pork, cheese, and onions. Does the 
navigation act stand in the way long ? No, indeed. 
The British admiral hastens to the door, saying, — 

“Good morning. Brother Jonathan! Walk in, 
and name your price. How are Mrs. Jonathan and 
the children ? ’’ 

“ Wal, she^s so^s to be about, and doing her 
work ; but the children are kind o’ fractious, and 
she keeps herself dragged down all the time with 
hard work.” 

“ You ought not to let her work so hard. You 
are well to do.” 

“ So I tells her ; but she says there’s a good 
many mouths to fill, and a hard winter coming.” 

You see how war laughs at navigation acts; 


48 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


you perceive also, if thirty vessels started at the 
same time with the Henry, and most of them have 
been taken by French cruisers that she has run 
away from, or had the good luck not to be seen by, 
it makes her cargo worth all the more. 

Take another instance, a real occurrence. The 
English have taken Martinique from the French, 
and have a large fleet there. Some of their ves- 
sels have been disabled in conflicts with the French 
batteries; there are eighteen topmasts, besides 
yards and lower masts, needed, and not'a spar on 
the island, when an American mast ship, from Wis- 
casset, arrives, with nearly a hundred spars, lower 
masts, topmast-yards, bowsprits, and smaller spars. 
Do you not think the American mast ship was wel- 
comed, and no impertinent questions in respect to 
nationality asked ? 

In order to illustrate the actual operation of the 
British and French decrees, and their bearing 
upon neutral trade, let us select real cases. 
The schooner John Frederic, from New London, is 
brought to on her passage by a British man-of-war, 
and we trust her Britannic majesty will excuse us 
for throwing the communication between them into 
a conversational form, and thus departing from the 
strict letter of the naval service. 


BETWEEN SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS. 49 

Where are you bound, Brother Jonathan?” 

“Well, Pm going to Guadaloupe, after a cargo 
of sweetening.” 

“ What does your cargo consist of? ” 

“Well, in the bottom of her, Pve got iron in 
bars, nails, hogshead shooks and heading, and on 
deck staves. There’s the papers ; you can see for 
yourself.” 

After examining the schooner’s papers, the oflScer 
says, — 

“ Call y^our men aft. I want to see if you’ve got 
any subjects of her majesty.” 

The English government have always maintained 
the doctrine that one born a subject of Great Brit- 
ain can never become an alien, — “ once a subject 
always a subject,” — and, as they had the power, 
so they claimed and exercised the right of taking 
out of our vessels British seamen, although they 
had been naturalized and had protections, because, 
according to their theory, “ once a subject always 
a subject.” He could never alienate himself by 
his own act, and their becoming naturalized as 
American citizens went for nothing with the Brit- 
ish government. This they called pressing, or im- 
pressment. 


4 


50 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


The readers of the Elm Island stories know how 
they managed the matter at home. Many of our 
young readers may not know what a protection is. 
It is a paper given to every sailor at the custom- 
house, describing his personal appearance and age 
minutely, and declaring him to be a citizen of the 
United States of America. But sailors are a care- 
less class, often lose their protections, and it is 
not easy always to tell an American from an Eng- 
lishman or Scotchman. If an English officer found 
a man on board an American vessel without a pro- 
tection, he would be sure to claim him as an Eng- 
lishman, and take him. On the other hand, if he 
found one or more that were evidently Irish, 
English, or Scotch, and were good rugged men, 
although they had been naturalized, that would 
make no difference ; he would take them, and 
sometimes tear up their protections. It was often 
the case that so many men would be taken out of a 
crew that enough would not be left to handle the 
vessel. Thus she would be delayed on her voyage, 
and sometimes, in the event of a gale, lost ; and 
oftentimes American citizens would be torn from 
their homes and families, and dragged on board 
British vessels, to fight in quarrels with which 
they had no concern. 


BETWEEN SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS. 


51 


There was nothing that more embittered the 
relations between the neutral powers and Great 
Britain than this right of search and impressment 
of seamen. 

They are all American born, and raised right 
in our town, and here’s the protections.” 

The officer, after examining the vessel’s papers, 
looking at the protections, and comparing the men 
with the descriptions there given, and seeing no 
opportunity for impressment, says, — 

“ Well, you’ve nothing contraband. You can go 
along.” 

No sooner had the schooner filled away than an- 
other sail, bearing the American flag, heaves in 
sight. She is also ordered to heave to by the 
frigate, and, when boarded, proves to be the brig 
Presumpscot, also bound to Guadaloupe, loaded 
with fish, corn, meal, beef, and pork. After ascer- 
taining the character of the brig’s cargo, the Brit- 
ish officer says, — 

You are a lawful prize. Every article of your 
cargo is contraband. I shall put a prize crew on 
board, and send you to Bermuda for adjudication.” 

“ What right have you to stop me, break up my 
voyage, subject me to loss, and the property of my 


52 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


owners to seizure ? Great Britain and the United 
States are at peace, and I am a neutral, pursu- 
ing the same trade I’ve been in this four years. 
Your quarrel with France is nothing to me. I 
don’t care which licks, or whether you use each 
other all up, like the Kilkenny cats. Neutrals 
have a right, by the law of nations, to trade with 
both parties, if they don’t carry fighting material, 
— w^hich is contraband, — or are caught running 
blockade.” 

“ But your cargo is contraband.” 

“ No, it ain’t ; provisions for the sustenance of 
human life ain’t contraband. They ain’t like pow- 
der and shot, and things to fight with.” 

But men can’t fight without food — can they ? ” 

“Nor they can’t live without food — can they? 
There are plenty of people in Guadaloupe that are 
non-combatants; there are women and little chil- 
dren, Englishmen and Americans, that can’t get 
away. They’ve got a right to live — haven’t 
they? and must have something to live on.” 

“ The British government have made provisions 
contraband.” 

“ What right have they to do it ? Other nations 
don’t.” 


BETWEEN SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS. ' 53 


^‘The right of the , strongest ; but, as there is 
some doubt about provisions being contraband, his 
majesty is graciously pleased to pay you the value 
of your cargo, and a fair profit on the same, with 
allowance for detentions.’^ 

“ Yes ; but he won’t pay me what I can get at 
Guadaloupe, nor as much for detention as the de- 
tention is damage to me, nor half as much. Per- 
haps there’ll be a dozen vessels there then, and I 
must wait a month for my turn to come ; then, 
after the thing is decided, wait a long time for my 
pay, without money, myself and my men half 
starved.” 

Thus you see the result of falling in with a Brit- 
ish cruiser when loaded with provisions, an article 
not generally considered contraband. Let us now 
select another instance that will bring out the 
whole matter to an extent sufficient for our pres- 
ent purpose. 

The French have now ascertained that the 
United States have made a commercial treaty 
with Great Britain, and a French privateer falls in 
with the schooner Trident, of Salem, bound to Bar- 
badoes. The instant the Frenchman ascertains 
that the American is laden with provisions, bound 


54 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


to a British port, he addresses to him every oppro- 
brious epithet the French language supplies, calls 
him a traitor to republican principles, and a rascal 
for feeding those bloated aristocrats, and worthy 
of being strung up to the yard-arm, puts a prize 
crew aboard, and sends her into Guadaloupe. 
The indemnity in this case is paid in depreciated 
assignats, worth about as much as the old Conti- 
nental currency. 

Having made this digression in order, if possible, 
to make evident to our readers the position in 
which neutrals were then placed in consequence 
of methods adopted by Great Britain and France 
to distress each other, we again resume the thread 
of our story. 


HOPING AGAINST HOPE. 


55 


CHAPTER III. 

HOPING AGAINST HOPE. 

S CARCELY was supper despatched at Captain 
Rhines’s, when Charlie Bell and Fred Williams, 
who had married daughters of Captain Rhines, 
came; soon after, Joe Griffin, the brother of 
Walter. Thus were assembled the owners of the 
Casco, not one of whom had been invited, but had 
all, like Ben and Sally, been drawn by a natural 
desire to find relief from the pressure of a com- 
mon anxiety, in conversation and mutual sym- 
pathy. 

“ Has anybody heard any news of the ship ? ” 
asked the captain, after greeting his guests. 

All replied in the negative. They then began 
to converse freely in respect to the probabilities of 
the vessel ever arriving, during which were re- 
lated instances they had known, or heard of, in 
regard to vessels that had been dismasted, or 


56 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


otherwise disabled, and finally arrived safe ; also of 
crews that had saved themselves in boats, and 
after drifting about on the ocean, been picked up, 
carried to foreign ports, and when their friends 
had given them up as lost, reached home. At 
length J oe Griffin, turning to the captain, said, — 

“ Captain Rhine s, what do you think ? Do you 
feel as though we should ever see the boys again? 

^‘Yes, Joseph,’^ replied the captain. “I don’t 
feel much doubt but we shall see them, and the ship, 
too, although I neither expect to see the cargo or 
to receive any proceeds from it.” 

“ Where do you think they are, then ? ” 

“I think they’ve been taken by some French 
cruiser. You know they were very friendly to us 
at first, because they thought we would join them 
in a war against Great Britain ; but when they 
found we were neutral, and especially that we had 
made a treaty with Great Britain, they began to 
take our vessels wherever they could find them. 
The least thing out of order in a bill of lading, or 
the lack of a sea-letter, and they now make a prize 
of a vessel at once. I saw a ship-owner to-day, of 
Wiscasset, going home from Boston, where he has 
been to see if he could find out anything about 


HOPING AGAINST HOPE. 


57 


some vessels that belong there, and are missing. 
He says the French take our vessels whenever 
they can find them, bound to any of the ports 
that the English have taken from them and hold; 
that they sometimes make a prize of tlie cargo, 
and let the crew and ship go ; at other times 
make a prize of both, and put the crew in jail. He 
says they told him there were fifty Americans in 
jail at Guadaloupe ; that the French sent them to 
Barbadoes to exchange with the English for French 
prisoners, and that the English sent them back 
again. At other times they rob the vessel of 
what money she may have on board, and then let 
her go. He showed me a letter, written by a 
Salem captain to his owners. He says that when 
a vessel arrives at a French island, the captain is 
told that the republic needs his cargo, and will pay 
him in the produce of the island, for which they fix 
their own price, and they also fix the price of the 
vessel’s cargo. They value the produce of the island 
at double the sum for which it can be bought of any 
merchant on the island, and they value the cargo of 
the vessel at less than the first cost at home, and will 
not allow him to sell to anybody else. He is then 
presented with a written instrument, in which he 


58 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


acknowledges his entire approbation of the terms, 
perfect satisfaction with the prices, and agreement 
to the said bargain. He is then informed that he 
must sign this, or he cannot leave the island ; and 
to prevent his doing so, his sails are taken ashore. 
The terras of payment are sometimes stipulated, 
and sometimes not ; but whether the time is one 
week or one month, none ever get their pay under 
six months, and some not till after a longer time.” 

Do you think that is the case with them, 
father ? ” said Ben. 

Yes, I think it is something of that kind. I 
donT feel as though they had foundered at sea. I 
should, perhaps, if it were ordinary times, they 
have been gone so long ; but not now, because 
there are so many ways for them to be detained. 
They may have fallen in with a privateer, and been 
carried to some French port, robbed, and left to 
get home as they can, or they may have the vessel 
given up to them. At any rate, I think there’s no 
danger of shipwreck, and that it’s best to look on 
the bright side. Through all my life I never have 
been in the habit of borrowing trouble, and I’m 
not going to begin now.” 

While the men were thus conversing, the ladies 


HOPING AGAINST HOPE. 


59 


were, employed with their sewing or knitting, listen- 
ing to the conversation, and occasionally joining in 
it, or talking in low tones among themselves. 

I am sure,’’ said Mrs. Rhines, if we only get 
the boy^s home safe, though we do lose the ship 
and cargo, we never shall cry about that.” 

“ True, Mary,” said the captain, “ though a 
seven-hundred ton ship, with a valuable cargo, 
and. as much hard money as I think she must have 
had in her, don’t grow on every bush.” 

The young wife of John Rhines sat sewing and 
jogging the cradle with her foot, while in her lap 
lay a little kitten, sound asleep, half covered up in 
her handkerchief. The expression of her counte- 
nance varied with the sentiments expressed by 
the different speakers, and whenever discouraging 
views seemed to prevail, tears trickled down her 
cheeks, and she gazed wistfully upon the babe that 
lay sleeping at her feet. 

A singular contrast to the anxious feelings that 
pervaded and agitated the entire company was 
presented by the other occupants of the room f 
the kitten purring in the lap of her mistress, the 
sweet occupant of the cradle smiling in his sleep, 
and the great Newfoundland dog, old Tige’s sue- 


50 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


cessor, but without a tithe of the intelligence of 
its predecessor of glorious memory, — whose brass 
collar, on which was engraved a record of his 
virtues, and of the lives he had saved, hung over 
the mantel-piece, — although he was a good water- 
dog, and would bring anything ashore that the 
captain shot. He lay with extended paws and 
mouth wide open before the fire that had now 
' burned low. 

Our young readers will bear in mind that at this 
time the American people were very much divided 
in sentiment in respect to the conduct to be pur- 
sued towards France. When the French people 
destroyed the Bastile, overthrew the monarchy, 
and proclaimed a republic, the feeling of sympathy 
for them among the people of the United States 
was deep and almost universal ; the aid received 
from them when we were struggling for indepen- 
dence was gratefully remembered. Their declara- 
tion was considered as propagating the principles 
of our own revolution, and Congress received a 
minister from the republic. There were many, 
however, who, from the very first, doubted whether 
the French people were prepared for, and capable 
of sustaining, a republican government. 


HOPING AGAINST HOPE. 


61 


The execution of the king, and the horrible 
scenes that succeeded, confirmed them in these 
opinions, and added many to their number. Thus 
the nation was divided into two great parties, 
whose bitter animosities brought it to the very 
brink of civil war. One of these parties was en 
thusiastic in favor of France, and of entering into 
the most intimate relations with her, even to the 
extent of fitting out privateers to prey upon 
British commerce. To this party belonged a 
large portion of the mercantile community. Cap- 
tain Rhines, Lion Ben, and, indeed, all the company 
assembled around his fireside, embraced these ex- 
treme views. The other party, with Washington 
at its head, were in favor of neutrality, and pre- 
serving peace with both parties ; but the bitter- 
ness of this party struggle was now past. Captain 
Rhines, and those who had cherished like views, 
had been brought to see that France only wished to 
make use of the American people and their re- 
sources ; that she desired no alliance, except an 
offensive and defensive one, similar to the old 
alliance of 1778, by which the United States were 
bound to defend her West India islands in the event 
of war with Great Britain; and she would enter 


62 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


into no commercial treaty but upon such conditions. 
These facts, revealed by the progress of events, 
had cooled the zeal of those heretofore so preju- 
diced in favor of France. On the other hand, that 
nation, though nominally at peace with us, enraged 
at being foiled in her purpose of involving this 
country in war, was not only capturing our mer- 
chant vessels engaged in neutral trade, but im- 
pressing the masters and crews, and, in some- 
instances, inflicting lashes. 

Thus you will notice that, in consequence of 
having previously taken such decided ground in 
favor of the French, Captain Rhines and his friends 
shrunk from any very strong expressions of the con- 
trary opinion ; but there were no manifestations of 
sympathy with, or attachment to, the French repub- 
lic, which would scarcely have been the case two 
years before, when Genet, the minister despatched 
from France, was received with ovations ; while, 
in Boston, an ox, roasted whole, and covered with 
mottoes and decorations, with the French and 
United States flags displayed from the horns, was 
drawn through the streets by sixteen horses, and 
the children from all the schools, marshalled in 
State Street, were each presented with a cake, 
stamped with the words “ Liberty and Equality.” 


HOPING AGAINST HOPE. 


63 


The past history of France and the United 
States of America furnishes a most graphic illus- 
tration of the sagacity of those statesmen who 
doubted the capacity of the French people for 
self-government. They inaugurated a republican 
form of government with the most horrible butch- 
eries, and with a protest against all religious prin- 
ciple, about nine years after the United States had 
established their independence. Their short-lived 
republic was succeeded by a Directory, and that 
by the iron rule of Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon 
being defeated and exiled, a new monarch was 
placed on the throne by foreign bayonets. An- 
other republic is established for a brief period, 
succeeded by another monarchy ; and now France 
is once more a republic; but in what a condition? 
Its monarch, who obtained his throne by treason 
and murder, is an exile ; its armies crushed, its 
capital has been besieged and taken, and an enor- 
mous tribute has been levied upon the nation — 
which is now in a state little short of anarchy 
as the price of peace. 

During all this period, though menaced by dan- 
gers both internal and external, the United States 
of America, true to those principles with which 


64 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


they commenced their career, have gone steadily 
forward, increasing in power and wealth, diffusing 
among the people the blessings of education,' civil 
government, and religion; developing the re- 
sources of their vast territory ; welcoming the 
oppressed of every nation, and creating happy 
homes ; while it may well be doubted if the 
French nation, with their disregard of the princi- 
ples of religion, learning and culture confined to 
the higher classes, and the great body of the peo- 
ple sunk in ignorance, are one whit more capable 
of maintaining a republican form of government in 
1872 than they were in 1792. 

“ I tell you,” said the captain, in reply to a ques- 
tion from Fred Williams, there’s no occasion to 
be too much cast down about the boys ; they’re 
having a hard time, no doubt, and disagreeable, 
but they’ll worm through it. Walter Griffin has 
got an old head on young shoulders ; he’s a fore- 
casting boy, and he’s a good boy, and when it 
comes to the hardest he will go to God for aid and 
will be guided, and Ned Gates is not much behind 
him ; then he is patient, as well as resolute, and 
won’t do anything rash.” 

“ He speaks French,” said Lion Ben ; “ both of 


HOPING AGAINST HOPE. 


65 


them do, as well as their mother tongue, and have 
been a good deal among Frenchmen ; know how 
they feel, and just how to take them. They’ll 
make friends, and that goes a great way either at 
home or abroad. 

“ I guess it does,” said Captain Murch. “ I could 
see that when he was with me before the mast. 
Old sailors are apt to be hard on a boy ; but every 
man aboard loved Walter, and I tliink if they are 
captured by a French privateer and carried into a 
French port, that they will get clear, — not without 
loss of cargo and money, — and will get the vessel 
to come home in.” 

As these encouraging remarks dropped from the 
two captains, a faint smile was visible on the fea- 
tures of the young wife, and a more hopeful spirit 
seemed to pervade the whole company. 

Captain Rhines, jumping up, piled wood upon 
the andirons, and then thrusting a part of the top- 
most shoot of a pine tree, covered with dry cones 
full of pitch, under the forestick, the whole mass 
burst into a blaze, and sparks began to fly all over 
the room. 

Tige fled for refuge under the table, and Fannie 

5 


66 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


Rhines, ejecting the kitten from her lap with little 
ceremony, hastened to pull back the cradle. 

Why, Captain Rhines,” said his wife, shaking 
the sparks from her handkerchief, you will burn 
us all up.” 

“ It’s just as well to laugh as to cry, wife. I 
want something a little more cheerful than a par- 
cel of ashes and a black backlog. Mary, you are 
younger than your mother ; run down cellar and 
bring up a pitcher of cider. Take a dish with 
you, and get some of the old hay-yard apples. 
I’ll warrant you know where the barrel is.” 

Yes, father, and I know where mother’s cake 
pot is, too.” 

Rob it, girl, rob it. I’ll give you a roving 
commission among your mother’s goodies, to take, 
devour, and carry off.” 

May I, mother? ” 

“ Yes, take Charlie with yon, and bring up 
some mince pies. They’re all on the broad shelf 
in the milk-room. Ben will eat a whole one ; so 
get enough.” 

That I will, mother,” said Ben; ^‘haven’t had 
a mince pie for an age. We can’t get fresh 


HOPING AGAINST HOPE. 


67 


meat on the island, except once in a great while 
when we come off, or kill something.’^ 

have got a quarter, Ben. I’ll divide with 
you when you go home.” 

“ Thank you, father.” 

Through the influence of this good cheer and 
their new-born hopes, the conversation became 
quite animated, and they separated in much better 
spirits than when they met. 


68 


THE CHILD OP THE ISLAND GLEN. 


CHAPTER IV. 

DARKEST JUST BEFORE DAY. 

** |,1ATHER,” said Lion Ben, after the depart- 
ure of the company, are you going to 
plough to-morrow ? ” 

“I think not, Ben, for the plough didn’t go 
well at all to-day. I shall have to send it to the 
blacksmith.” 

I was about to say, if you were, I’d help you.” 

“ That would be fine ; come over to make us a 
visit, and then be put. to work ! ” 

“ I had rather work than not. We shall enjoy 
ourselves together, and I suppose you want to get 
that piece of corn in before Edmund does his.” 

I should have sprung like a tiger to do it 
once, for by the time the ground could be got 
ready, I should not be afraid to plant it ; but the 
truth is, Ben, I feel so uneasy (though I don’t let 
on to your mother or Fannie), that I haven’t the 


DARKEST JUST BEFORE DAY. 


69 


heart or ambition to work as usual. Would you 
believe it, I haven't had my gunning float off this 
spring, — and here it is the last of April, — nor 
shot a bird. The sea-fowl come into the cove, and 
go out again unharmed." 

“ You’ll feel better, father, to be at work, and 
so shall I. It will keep down uneasy thoughts ; 
let Valentine take the plough to the smith in the 
forenoon. I will go down and see Charlie, and in 
the afternoon you and I will plough." 

The family now retired to rest, with the excep- 
tion of Mrs. Rhines, who remained to discharge 
some household duties. 

Mary," cried the captain, “ why don’t you come 
to bed ? What are you doing so long down cel- 
lar?" 

I’m after some beef and potatoes for breakfast 
in the morning. You know we’ve got company." 

“ Why didn’t you let the girls do it when they 
were here ? " 

I didn’t think of it, Benjamin," said the good 
woman, as she blew out the candle and took her 
place beside her husband. “ While I was down 
cellar I looked at my soap. You know, husband, 
I’ve always had the best luck of anybody in the 


70 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


neighborhood with soap. Since we’ve been mar- 
ried I’ve never had any trouble with it ; but this 
year it hasn’t come to soap at all ; there’s no soap 
to it ; it’s nothing but grease and lye. Do you 
think it’s a forerunner, or any bad sign ? ” 

“Yes, it’s a sign you had weak lye.” 

“ But I set up the leach just as I always have, 
put on hot water, and it stood a long time before I 
drew the lye off.” 

“ That may be, but you had poor ashes.” 

“ Just the ashes we always had.” 

“ You are much mistaken there, wife. Till this 
winter we’ve burnt almost entirely elm, rock-maple, 
oak, and black ash, that make the strongest ashes in 
the world ; but this winter we’ve burnt beech, 
white maple, white birch, and lots of pine wood. 
That’s what’s the matter with the soap. Put some 
potash in it, and it will be all right.” 

“ Perhaps it will ; but I suppose, Benjamin, if 
anything should befall, it is our duty not to mur- 
mur, but submit to the Lord’s will, — is it not, 
husband ? ” 

“ I suppose so ; but it will be time enough to 
submit when we find out what the Lord’s will is.” 

Captain Rhines was roused from slumber the 


DARKEST JUST BEFORE DAY. 


71 


succeeding morningy just as the gray dawn was 
breaking, by a sound that jarred the house, and 
made every window in it rattle. 

Mercy, husband ! ” screamed Mrs. Rhines ; 
^‘what is that?” 

“ Hark, Mary,” said the captain, who, awaked 
from a sound sleep, knew not what had waked him ; 
“ perhaps we shall hear it again.” 

In a few minutes it was repeated, and louder 
than before. 

“ It’s a gun, and no popgun either,” shouted the 
captain, leaping from the bed and rushing to the 
door. Meantime the dog was barking furiously, 
the baby crying with might and main, roosters 
crowing and hens cackling in concert. The captain 
encountered Ben in the sitting-room, and together 
they hurried to obtain a view of the cove, from 
whence the report seemed to proceed. The shore 
of Captain Rhines’s cove was quite bold, and as 
they turned the corner of the house they espied 
a brigantine within a short distance of the beach, 
just preparing to anchor. The next moment the 
smoke rose from a long gun amidships, and the 
roar of the piece was heard. 

That gun was shotted, I know by the sound,” 


72 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


cried the captain, who was no novice in matters 
of naval warfare. 

‘‘ There goes the shot,” said Ben, pointing to the 
ball, that was now seen ricochetting along the sur- 
face of the water to seaward. 

“ It’s a French privateer,” said the captain. 
“ She’s French or Spanish built, if she does fly 
American colors.” 

‘‘ There’s two of them, father,” cried Ben, as the 
increasing light enabled him to descry another ves- 
sel some distance astern of the brigantine ; “ a 
rousing big ship she is, too, and under her three 
topsails.” 

It’s the Casco, Ben,” shouted the captain ; as 
I’m a sinner, the big ship is the Casco.” And, 
running back to the house, he screamed, “ The 
Casco is coming into the cove.” 

Joined by Tom Valentine they ran for the beach. 
Another gun was discharged from the brigantine, 
and then the firing ceased. As they pulled away 
they saw people from all directions, half dressed, 
thronging to the shore. 

“ What can this Frenchman be firing for, and 
with shot, too ? ” said the captain. 

I don’t know, father, I’m sure, out there’s a 


DARKEST JUST BEFORE DAY. 


73 


fellow in the bunt of her topsail that I could take 
my Bible oath is Sam Eveleth.” 

The crews of both the vessels were aloft, hand- 
ing the sails. 

Ease on your oar, Ben,” said the captain. 

Let us pull a little nearer to the Frenchman.” 

As the boat came under the stern of the brigan- 
tine, the captain, turning half round, looked Ned, 
who was pacing the deck, square in the face. 

What on earth does this mean I ” he cried, 
dropping his oar overboard in his astonishment. 

Ned Gates, can this be you ? and you, too, Dick 
Cameron ? God bless you ! ” 

Captain Gates, if you please, sir,” replied Ned, 
straightening himself, and assuming a very impor- 
tant air. 

Captain of what ? ” 

Of the piratical brigantine Languedoc.” 

“ How came you by her? ” said Ben. 

She was sent out to take us, but we took her.” 

The dogs you did ! ” said the captain. “ Where 
is my John? ” 

“ There,” replied Ned, pointing to a boat with 
three men in her that was just leaving the Casco, 
and pulling towards them. 


74 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


“ Come aboard, captain. They’ll be alongside in 
a few minutes.” 

“ Can’t. I want to meet him. Come to the 
house, Ned, as soon as you get ashore. Here 
comes Charlie Bell, Fred Williams, and the whole 
neighborhood at their heels. Hurrah ! ” he shout- 
ed, spinning his hat into the water ; “ my wife’s 
soap’ll come now.” 

It was just as the captain had said. The whole 
surface of the cove was covered with boats, skiffs, 
gunning-floats, gundalows, and any kind of a craft 
that would float, filled with men and boys, who, 
roused from sleep by the firing, and recognizing 
the ship, were hastening to welcome home rela- 
tives and friends. 

“ Give way, Ben,” said the captain. I see the 
boy sitting in the stern-sheets of the boat. A 
great day this, bless the Lord ! 0, what will his 

mother and Fannie say?” 

“ What think John will say to the baby, father? ” 
Don’t tell him, Ben, for your life. That’ll be a 
surprise and a half.” 

The captain, who, during these weary months, 
had concealed an aching heart beneath the sem- 
blance of cheerfulness in order to sustain the spir- 


DARKEST JUST BEFORE DAY. 


75 


its of his desponding wife and children, shed tears 
of joy as he embraced his son. 

Don’t think I ain’t glad to see you, boys,” said 
he, turning to Enoch Hadlock and Eaton, whose 
hands he grasped ; but I was so glad to see this 
boy of mine, I forgot everything and everybody 
else. Your folks are all well, and I expect on their 
way to see you.” 

While the boats lay side by side, a novel species 
of craft came along. It was a huge log trough, 
navigated by three boys, — Will, Edmund, and 
Winthrop Griffin, — with strips of boards for pad- 
dles. Will was dressed, with the exception of 
shoes and stockings, but the two younger boys 
were in shirt and drawers, barefooted and bare- 
headed. 

Where are you going, boys?” said Ben. 

We’re going to the ship, to see our Walter and 
Henry.” 

Well, get in with us, and set your old trough 
adrift.” 

“ We mustn’t,” replied Winthrop. “ It’s father’s 
trough that he waters the cattle in.” 

^^How did you get it into the water?” 

“We tied a rope to it, and dragged it.” 


76 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


“ There’s some Griffin there/’ said Dan Eaton to 
Hadlock, as the boys paddled away. 

John/’ said the captain, ‘‘ we must go shake 
hands with Walter; but you can go ahead. I sup- 
pose you’re dying to get ashore.” 

It won’t take but a moment, father. I’ll go 
back to the ship with you, and then we’ll all go 
home together.” 

On their return they met Joe Griffin, Charlie 
Bell, and Fred Williams coming off. No sooner 
had John Rhines greeted his wife, mother, and 
sisters, than he noticed the cradle and its occu- 
pant. 

Whose baby is that, mother ? ” he asked. 

“ Guess, John. Ain’t it a nice one? ” 

“ Yes. I guess it’s yours, Mary,” turning to 
Charlie Bell’s wife. 

“ No ; guess again. Who does it look like ? ” 

It’s hardly large enough to tell. It looks like 
my father. I know whose it is — yours, Lizzie,” 
turning to Fred Williams’s wife. 

‘•It is yours, John,” said his mother; “and I 
think he does favor his grandfather.” 

“ Is it, Fannie, our baby ? ” 

“Yes; what do you think of it?” 


DARKEST JUST BEFORE DAY. 


77 


I think it is a little beauty ; but what a mite of 
a creature ! 

^^It is large enough for a six weeks^ baby. 
When he gets his nap out, and wakes up, you'll 
see what a bright little fellow he is, and how much 
notice he takes. He knows his mother already." 

Some allowance must be made for a vivid imagi- 
nation in the grandmother, and to the precocity of 
the babe. 

“Husband, come to the table. It's past nine 
o'clock, and we haven't been to breakfast yet. 
Where's Ned Gates and Cameron? I expected 
them." 

“ They," replied John, “ have gone home with 
Walter." 

“ Where are Charlie and Fred ? " 

“Here they come," said John. “I see them 
through the window." 

“ Where's Tom Valentine ? " 

“He had his breakfast, husband, three hours, 
ago." 

At this juncture, Tom, putting his head into the 
door, said, — 

“ Captain, you've not laid out any work for me 
to-day. Shall I harrow the ground we ploughed 
yesterday ? " 


78 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


‘‘ No, Tom, not a stroke of work shall you do 
this blessed day.” 

“ Hadn’t I better take the plough to the black- 
smith’s, so as to be ready for work to-morrow?” 

Got a blacksmith of our own now,” said the 
captain, slapping John on the shoulder; ‘‘and 
there’s a good shop, forge, and tools in the ship- 
yard. There shall not be an ox yoked nor a horse 
harnessed to-day. Take care of the cattle, Tom, 
and then go to see your mother, or your sweet- 
heart, or gunning, just which suits you best.” 

It was some time before the demands of appetite 
were appeased, owing to the lateness of the break- 
fast hour. 

“ Who would have thought last night,” said Ben, 
“ when we were trying to keep each other’s hearts 
up, that the very people we were so anxious about 
would be safe and sound at home in the morn- 
ing ? ” 

“ Yes,” said the captain, “ especially when the 
dog howled, and the soap didn’t come.” 

“ Be still. Captain Bhines,” said his wife. “ I 
don’t believe you was very much at -ease in your 
mind, any more than the rest of us.” 

“ He wasn’t, mother,” said Ben ; it was all 
put on.” 


DARKEST JUST BEFORE DAY. 


79 


I am easy now, at any rate ; but, John, what 
did Ned put shot in his gun for ? ” 

That was Dick Cameron’s doings to make the 
louder report. He said he meant to call the 
watch, so that everybody in town would hear 
the news.” 

“Come, John,” said Charlie Bell, “tell us the 
riddle. Where did this brigantine come from ? ” 

“Lemaire was so mad, because Walter and Ned 
got Peterson away from him, that he wrote that 
letter just to lure him to Martinique, and then 
sent this brigantine out to waylay him, capture 
the ship, and butcher all hands ; but we turned 
the tables on them, and took the pirate. Lemaire 
owned the brigantine, and was an old pirate 
himself.” 

John then related the whole affair of the con- 
flict, with which the readers of the previous vol- 
ume of the series are familiar. 

“ After you took her,” said the captain, “ did you 
make the best of your way home ? If you did, 
you’ve been an everlasting while on the passage.” 

“No, father. We went back, seized Lemaire, 
and gave him up to the English authorities.” 

Martinique was at that time in the hands of the 


80 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


English, who had taken it from the French a few 
months before. 

“ What did they do with him ? ’’ 

They turned him over to the French courts, 
and they hung him. The English didn’t interfere 
with the courts of justice, or the municipal .authori- 
ties, and they permitted the merchants of the 
island to trade with neutrals, and they allowed us 
to keep the brigantine.” 

“Was there any cargo in her?” 

“ No, sir ; she was in ballast, except her powder 
and shot.” 

“ She is deep now.” 

“ That cargo belongs to the owners of the Casco. 
Walter bought it when Lemaire’s effects were sold. 
The brigantine belongs to the ship’s company of 
the Casco.” 

“ What does her cargo consist of? ” 

“All kinds of things — tea, blankets, indigo, 
saltpetre, spice, coffee, and ivory.” 

“ Well, I’ll give up ! I’ve been to sea ever since 
I was a boy, and it’s the first time I ever heard of 
tea, blankets, and ivory as part of a West India 
cargo.” 

“ You see, father, Lemaire had two or three of 


DARKEST JUST BEFORE DAY. 


81 


those piratical vessels that passed for Giiineamen. 
They robbed East Indiamen, West Indiamen, and 
vessels for Europe, and brought it all to him. 
The hill back of his house was all honeycombed 
with vaults where these cargoes were concealed ; 
there were also just such places at his other plan- 
tations on the island. I can tell you that cargo is 
worth the money; but it was bought mighty cheap.^^ 
That was what took the time up, waiting for 
this property to be sold, and Lemaire to be tried, 
and all that — was it ? ” 

Yes, father.’^ 

“ And I all the time thought some French 
cruiser had captured you.’^ 

There was no lack of topics of conversation to 
occupy the time ; and in the afternoon Walter, 
Ned, and Cameron came, and stopped to tea. Cap- 
tain Murch came in just as the meal was over, and, 
as the owners of the Casco were all present, Wal- 
ter gave them a particular account of the voyage. 
When he had concluded. Captain Rhines said, — 

I had hard work to persuade this young man 
to take command of the ship. He was too young, 
he said, without experience, and his capacity was 
not equal to the responsibility and the handling of 
6 


82 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


SO much property ; and now see what he has done ; 
no man, old or young, could have been placed 
in more trying circumstances, greater perils, or 
.where there was more need of good judgment 
and a resolute heart, and he has come out of it 
all with flying colors ; hung Lemai're, saved his 
own life, the lives of his crew, and made a noble 
vige. Why, the ship will pay for herself this trip, 
you’ve made so much on the cargo you carried 
out, while the cargo you’ve brought back comes 
just in the right time. You have also shown most 
excellent judgment in the selection of the brig- 
antine’s cargo ; that tea and indigo will go like hot 
cakes ; and the saltpetre, there will be money made 
on that ; we’ll sell it to the English to make powder 
to fight the French, or to the French to make 
powder to fight the English, just which will pay 
the most.” 

No sooner had the captain ceased speaking, 
than Lion Ben and the others expressed the same 
opinions. 

“ 0, Captain Rhines,” replied Walter, blushing, 
am very glad you are satisfied with my pro- 
ceedings, and I feel very grateful for the opinions 
you and the other owners have expressed ; but 


DARKEST JUST BEFORE DAY. 


83 


you attribute altogether too much of the success 
to me. A very small share of it is justly due to 
me, but belongs of right to my officers and crew, 
and Pierre Lallemont. What could I have done 
without Dan Eaton, Sewall Lancaster, Merrithew, 
and a crew of born riflemen who had been brought 
up to shoot deer on the jump, and sea-fowl on the 
wing, and that were as cool under fire as veteran 
soldiers? and what without such officers as Mr. 
Cameron and Ned — ” 

“ Don't believe anything he says. Captain 
Rhines ; don't pay any attention to him, Mr. Bell," 
said Ned, every feature of his face beaming with 
the delight he felt at this commendation of his 
friend. “ That is just like him — give all the credit 
to others, and take none himself. It's all his 
work ; he planned it all out, and never said a word 
to us. Cameron and myself thought he was crazy, 
when it was_ blowing a gale of wind and he carry- 
ing sail till the masts were ready to go out of her, 
trying to run away from the Languedoc ; and when 
he found he couldn't do it, he called all hands aft, 
and told us she was a pirate. And then, don’t you 
think. Captain Rhines, he wanted Cameron to take 
charge of the ship, because he said Cameron had 
had more experience ! " 


84 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


^^But Cameron was not fool enough to do it,” 
said Dick. “ Never mind his blushing, captain ; he 
deserves all the praise you can bestow, and what 
is more, it won’t hurt him.” 

‘‘ There’s one thing we must do,” said Captain 
Rhines ; “ and that is, to tell all the masters of 
vessels we fall in with what the black cooper 
did, and tell them to spread it, so that every 
master that goes to Martinique — and now the^ 
English have got it, we shall be like to go there 
more than ever — will get Pierre Lallemont to do 
his coopering.” 

How strange it seems,” said Fred Williams, — 
“ too strange for belief, — that Pete Clash, who has 
lived right here among us, who John and I used 
to play with, should turn pirate, come to be 
captain of this brigantine, that Walter should kill 
him, and that he could hold such deadly malice 
towards his old schoolmates ! ” 

‘‘Wal, children,” said old Mrs. Hadlock, ‘^you 
see how the Lord sets one thing over against 
another thing. Here was Clash trying to kill 
people that never harmed him, and got killed 
himself; and Walter and Captain Gates, they run 
the risk of their lives to rescue James Peterson, 


DARKEST JUST BEFORE DAY. 


85 


though he was a black man; and then another 
black man, an utter stranger, interferes and saves 
them and all the rest. It is wonderful, as good old 
Aunt Molly B radish would say if she was alive, — 
she’s in a better place, I trust, than this wicked 
world, — the dealings of Providence, and how 
things are ordered.” 

^^Mr. Bell,” said Ned, “you know, when we 
went away, you was going to build a vessel for 
Walter.” 

“ Yes, Ned ; she’s ceiled up, her decks are in 
and her plank on ; she’s going to be an extra 
vessel, I tell you ; we have payed the whole frame 
over with oil and tar, and we’ve bored all the 
timbers and filled the holes with oil, everything is 
in the yard to finish her, and the spars are all 
made. We might have had her off, but we 
wanted her to season.” 

“ And were doubtful,” said Walter, “ whether I 
should ever get home to want her.” 

“ That’s just the reason,” said Captain Rhines. 

“ Well, you may finish her as fast as you like. 
The English have a large fleet at Martinique, and 
want provisions, and if I can dodge the French 
cruisers and get there, — the sooner the better, — 
’twill be a good voyage.” 


86 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


Walter,” said the captain, as they were about to 
separate, it seems there are more than thirty own- 
ers of the brigantine. Where there are so many, 
it will not be profitable for all to run her. Do you 
go and see them all, and the heirs of the men that 
were killed, and tell them Ben, myself, and John 
will buy her ; that we will choose one man, they 
may choose another, and those two choose a third, 
to say what she’s worth, and we’ll abide by their 
decision, and pay them the customary freight on 
the cargo home ; and let us know what they say.” 


JOHN’S FIRST LESSON IN BABY-TENDING. 87 


CHAPTER Y. 

JOHN’S FIRST LESSON IN BABY-TENDING. 

APTATN RHINES insisted that Cameron 



Vy should stay there, but Walter took Ned home 
with him. They had traversed about half of the 
way between the captain’s and Edmund GriflSn’s, 
when they came across Will, Edmund, and Win- 
throp, seated on the trough, their apology for a 
boat, reeking with perspiration, and quite tired 
out. They had made a rope fast to the trough, 
and fastened a stake to the rope. Will and Ed- 
mund pulled by putting their breasts against the 
stake, while Winthrop had made a standing noose 
in the other end, that he threw over his shoulder 
and hauled by that. Excited by the news of the 
ship’s arrival, they had managed to get the trough 
to the water very well, the ground for the greater 
part of the way being descending ; but now it 
was the reverse. They had accomplished their 


88 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


purpose, seen Walter and Henry, had their slide, 
the excitement was over, and hauling such a sled 
as that back was very much like work — very 
much indeed. 

Just before Walter and Ned overtook them they 
had come to the foot of a steep hill. At the sight 
of this obstacle, Winthrop, who was quite young, 
gave out. 

Will, I can’t do any more ; my legs ache, and 
I’m almost dead ; we never can get up this hill ; ” 
and he began to cry. 

‘‘Don’t cry, Wint,” said Will, wiping the little 
fellow’s tears away with his jacket-sleeve ; “ this 
is the last hill ; stick to it a little longer.” 

“ I can’t. I’m all tuckered out.” 

“I’ll tell you what we’ll do,” said Edmund; “we’ll 
turn the trough over, sit down and rest a while ; 
you’ll feel better; and then we’ll get a lot of stakes 
out of the fence and put under it for rollers : you 
can put them under, Wint, as fast as Will and I 
haul it along ; and when we once get up this hill, 
we’ll do well enough. I’ll give you my knife that’s 
got a dog on the handle if you’ll be a good boy, 
and not give up.” 

“ Will you truly, Ed ? ” 


JOHN’S FIRST LESSON IN BABY-TENDING. 89 


Yes.” 

They were thus resting when overtaken by 
Walter and Ned. 

“ Why don’t you go home and leave it,” asked 
Walter, “and get it some other time? ” 

“ It’s the trough we water the cattle in,” replied 
Will, “ and we want it in the morning. Joe’s gone 
up river to tell father you’ve come, and bring him 
home. He’ll scold if he finds the trough gone.” 

“ He’ll lick us,” said Winthrop, beginning to cry 
afresh, 

“ Don’t cry,” said Ned ; “ we’ll help you.” 

“ I’m not going to drag it; let’s shoulder it,” said 
Walter. 

Ned and Walter taking the larger portion of it, 
they managed to carry it. Winthrop, too short to 
carry with the others, took the rope. There were 
some sad exceptions to the wide-spread rejoicing 
consequent upon the arrival of the ship. We re- 
fer to those whose children and relatives had fallen 
in the death-grapple on the deck of the Langue- 
doc, and who were overwhelmed with sorrow, 
while their near neighbors were rejoicing at the 
return of those respecting whom they had so long 
been anxious. 


90 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


One of the young men slain — Atherton — was 
comparatively a stranger in the place, though the 
name was a common one in that vicinity. He 
came into the town, about two years before his 
death, from Canada, where his father, who was a 
trapper, lived. The boy had always been engaged 
in the same business. Getting short of provisions 
in one of his trapping excursions, he came into a 
logging camp, where he found Sam Holbrook, who 
was cook to the gang. One was about as rough 
as the other, and a friendship began between them, 
in consequence of which, Atherton, when not trap- 
ping, made it his home with Sam, at Pleasant Cove, 
where they spent the greatest part of their lei- 
sure time in rifle shooting, sometimes for turkeys, 
and sometimes for bank bills ; and when Sam 
shipped in the Casco, he persuaded Atherton to 
ship as green hand. He was not of much use 
on the passage out, except, being a powerful 
man, to pull and haul about deck ; but when the 
hour of conflict came, and the rifle was placed in 
his hands, he was invaluable. Blaisdell and El- 
well, however, born and bred in the town, were 
integral portions of the community ; and the news 
of their death affected deeply not merely their 


JOHN’S FIRST LESSON IN BABY-TENDING. 91 


parents and near relatives, but the people at large, 
especially that of Sam Elwell. His father had 
been killed two years before, breaking a jam of 
logs at the falls of the river ; and he, the only child, 
became the main dependence of his mother. 

Sam was very highly respected and universally 
beloved both for his personal qualities and the 
tender affection he manifested for his mother, she 
being left with a farm and a good stock of cattle, 
although there were outstanding debts. 

But no one among the whole circle of relatives 
and friends was so sensibly touched by his death 
as Walter Griffin. Notwithstanding some differ- 
ence in age, they had been constant associates both 
in school and out. Their fathers’ farms joined, and 
they were in the habit of changing works. Wal- 
ter would go over and hoe with Sam one day, and 
the next Sam would return the favor. While the 
Casco was loading for Martinique, Walter said to 
him, — 

“ Come, Sam, hurry up your harvesting. Pick 
up some good boy to stay with your mother and 
take care of the cattle this winter, and you go with 
me in the ship. Stay here and you’ll only eat up 
all you’ve earned this summer. I’ll put you in the 


92 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


way of makiDg a great deal more than you have 
since your father died ; and you ought to do it if 
all our Will says is true about a little girl that 
don’t live ten miles from Sewall Lancaster’s.” 

don’t see how you make that out, Walter; 
the wages of an ordinary seaman wouldn’t amount 
to anything.” 

“ It is true the wages wouldn’t amount to 
much, but that is not all ; you’ve got a good many 
fowl, a very likely five-year-old colt, butter, pota- 
toes, and other produce ; put them aboard, and 
take them out there for a venture. Provisions of 
all kinds are very high there, now it is war times, 
and intercourse uncertain. The English have a 
fleet and troops there, and depend pretty much 
upon the States for supplies. You’ll make more 
in one trip than you can digging here in two 
years, and bring home a barrel of sugar, a barrel 
of molasses, and a bag of coffee to your mother.” 

And be with you to boot ; that is the best part 
of it.” 

“ I’ll tell you what is better still. You’ll learn 
seamanship, and I’ll help you to rise as fast as you 
become capable.” 

Upon this Sam set to work in earnest, got in 


JOHN’S FIRST LESSON IN BABY-TENDING. 93 

his harvest, and hired one of Peterson’s boys to. 
take care of the barn, with the privilege of going 
to school. He then put all the hens in coops, 
except four and a rooster, barrelled up the pota- 
toes, leaving only enough for his mother to eat and 
for seed in the spring, and also his onions. 

The widow had a large yoke of oxen ; but in 
March one of them walked off on the ice, broke 
through, and was drowned in the bay. The neigh- 
bors loaned their cattle to Sam to plough his 
ground, harrow it, and haul out his manure. He 
made a crooked yoke and traced up the other in 
order to plough between the rows of his corn in 
hoeing time. This ox was now hog-fat, having 
had the best of fall feed, and pumpkins and pota- 
toes beside. He was in good order in the spring, 
when his mate was drowned, and all the work he 
had done since was to plough a few times among 
the corn and potatoes. 

There never was a smarter boy done up in skin 
than Sam Elwell. His father, for some years be- 
fore his death, had in winters gone into the log- 
ging swamp, and in summers worked in saw-mills, 
or on the river driving logs, as, being a very capa- 
ble and powerful man, he could earn money to pay 


94 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


for his laud faster in that way than by working on 
the land itself Thus the boy had been early 
trained to labor and responsibility. Till he was 
sixteen years of age, the father was frequently at 
home in the summer, generally once a fortnight or 
month, hiring a man to carry on the place, with 
whom Sam worked when not at school. After that 
period he kept no help ; but Sam and his mother 
managed everything, and the father was only at 
home a few days in planting and through haying. 
Thus he grew up dutiful, ambitious, and self-reli- 
ant. He had been a short trip whaling, from Cape 
Cod, and one voyage with Walter in the Arthur 
Brown,” but after the death of his father, de- 
voted himself to the care of his mother. Being 
thus accustomed to plan for himself, he killed the 
ox. The creature was large, heavy quartered, and 
well fatted, making two barrels of mess beef 
He sold the rough tallow, hide, and shins, and some 
lambs, and paid up the last year’s tax ; bought his 
mother a pair of shoes and a barrel of hour, also 
some glass, and mended all the broken windows ; 
cut up wood, and put it in the shed for winter; 
hauled sea-weed from the beach, and banked up 
the house to the windows to keep the frost from 
the cellar. 


JOHN’S FIRST LESSON IN BABY-TENDING. 95 


They had two hogs ; he killed the largest, — 
that, after taking out the hams and leaf lard, made 
a barrel of mess pork, — leaving the other for his 
mother. 

Walter lent him money to buy enough addition- 
al pork of the neighbors to fill two barrels more. 
These articles, with some butter and the horse, 
were put aboard the ship as his venture. Before 
deciding to go with Walter, he had bargained for 
some stones for his father’s grave ; and in order 
to pay for them and leave a little money for his 
mother’s expenses during his absence, and in the 
event of sickness, he went on board the Casco 
half clothed. This coming to the knowledge of 
Henry Griffin, Eaton, and Lancaster, who were in 
the same watch, they divided with him. He was 
the only boy in the vessel, and lacked two months 
and three days of being twenty-one at the time he 
was killed. There was not a dry eye in that ship’s 
company when his body was launched overboard 
from the lee gangway of the Casco. 

These reminiscences in respect to the early life 
of the boy he had so dearly loved, his brief life at 
sea and violent death, passing through the mind 
of Walter on his way from Captain Khines’s, re- 


96 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


called the resolution he had previously formed of 
visiting his mother at an early hour the next 
morning. They even followed him to his pillow, 
and kept him wakeful long after Ned was sound 
asleep. He reflected that he had persuaded him to 
go with him in the vessel, and that Sam was killed 
in consequence of receiving in his own breast the 
blow destined for himself He recalled also the 
surprise and delight of Sam at the bountiful re- 
turns of his venture, and with what pleasure he 
anticipated the happiness in store for his mother 
when he should get home ; that her last words 
were, “ Walter, take good care of my boy, for he’s 
a dear good boy, and all the child I’ve got ; ” and 
they went to his heart like a knife. Now that 
dutiful, affectionate boy was sleeping in the ocean, 
and in the morning he was to call upon his mother, 
whose wounds he knew would bleed afresh when 
she saw him. As they rose from the breakfast 
table the next morning, Walter saw Peterson and 
his son going by with a cart, and both he and Ned 
went out to hail them. 

Where are you going, James? ” asked Walter. 

Instead of replying, the kindly negro grasped 
their hands and wept. At length he said, “I’m 


JOHN^S FIRST LESSON IN BABY-TENDING. 97 

gwine to de ship, Massa Walter, to get poor Sam’s 
things ; de mate gwine ’board wid me. 0, Massa 
Walter, Massa Ned, what a pity ! dat poor boy I 
and you lubbed him so much ! ” 

“True, James; but what must it be for his 
mother ! I’m going to see her this morning ; but 
I’ll wait till you have taken the things there. I 
couldn’t bear to be in the house when they 
come.” 

“Walter,” said Mrs. Elwell, as he entered the 
house, “ you are come to see^a lonely, broken- 
hearted woman; but don’t think I’m not glad to 
see you because I weep, and excuse me for calling 
you Walter, for this trouble takes me right back 
to the time when you used to come in with your 
dinner-pail, and books under your arm, to call my 
poor boy to go to school with you ; for you were 
just like brothers, and always sat together. Sam 
would look out of the east window and say, ^ Moth- 
er, make haste and put up my dinner. Walter’s 
coming down the rye-field hill ; ’ and then you’d 
go off together so loving.” 

“We loved each other as well as we could, and 
he lost his life trying to save mine. I almost 
thought you would feel that I ought not to have 
7 


98 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


persuaded him to go in the vessel where he lost 
his lif’e.’^ 

“ No, Walter ; you did it to help him, and, as 
you thought, for the best. We don’t any of us 
know what is in store for us. Do you remember 
when you and Sam were little mites of things, 
coming in and getting the fire shovel to dig up a 
little hackmatack that you found in the swamp, but 
you couldn’t get it up, came in crying, and took 
on so, that I went and dug it up for 3^011 ? ” 

Yes, I remember it just as well as though it 
happened yesterday ; and I’ll tell you where we set 
it — right by the end door, close to a lilac bush.” 

Well, it’s there now; and though it has grown 
to a large tree, shaded and killed out the lilac, yet, 
as I look at it, it seems as though the roots were 
in- my heart, for trouble brings everything up. I 
think now what happy days those were. I didn’t 
know it then, though, but thought I wanted the 
little boy to grow up. Did my poor boy suffer 
much ? ” 

No, marm. I don’t think he sensed anything.” 
How long did he live after he was hurt ? ” 

A little over four hours.” 

“ Couldn’t he speak ? ” 


JOHN’S FIRST LESSON IN BABY-TENDING. 99 

No, marm. By the time the fight was over, and 
we could attend to him, and know who was hurt 
and who was not, — for we were all fighting for 
our lives, — he had lost so much blood he was 
nearly lifeless, and I don’t think he knew or 
suffered anything.” 

I know, Walter, it don’t make any difference 
■^here the body lies, for the Lord can find it ; but 
still, it seems dreadful to have friends buried in 
the ocean. When my husband was killed, it seemed 
a great satisfaction to get his body, though it was 
so mangled with logs and rocks ; and I can go to 
his grave, and think that in God’s time I shall lie 
beside him ; but I shall never have that consola- 
tion in j-egard to Samuel. There’s his chest 
James Peterson brought. I haven’t had courage 
to open it. I don’t think I shall till Mary comes. 
I suppose you knew he was engaged to Mary 
Colcord.” 

Yes, he told me about it.” 

She’s coming down to stop with me to-night.” 

After taking leave of Mrs. Elwell, Walter spent 
the rest of the forenoon in obtaining the opinion 
of the crew in respect to selling the Languedoc, 
found them disposed to sell, and leave it out to 
referees. 




100 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


Captain Rhines, Lion Ben, and John had told 
Walter that they should choose Captain John 
Savage ; the ship’s company chose Seth Storer ; 
and they two chose Nat Edwards, to appraise the 
vessel and estimate the freight on the cargo then 
in the brigantine. In the afternoon Ned and Wal- 
ter went to Captain Rhines’s. 

This life is a checkered scene. While some a»e 
entering, others are leaving it ; while some are 
rejoicing in meeting friends they scarcely expected 
ever to see again, others are crushed beneath a 
weight of sorrows, and mourning over new-made 
graves. So thought Walter, as, while passing 
through the entry of Captain Rhines, he listened to 
the loud laughter proceeding from the sitting-room. 

I wonder what they are having such a good 
time about,” said Ned. 

“ It’s plain they’ve lost no friends here,” said 
Walter. I’m going to peek.” 

Walter pushed gently upon the door that was 
ajar, enough to look in upon the merry company, 
too much occupied with their own affairs to notice 
them. John Rhines was standing on the hearth, 
and his wife was endeavoring to put the baby in 
his arms; but her husband held back, saying, — 


JOHN’S FIRST LESSON IN BABY-TENDING. 101 

Don’t, Fannie, don’t; I shall let it fall.” 

The rest of the family were standing around 
laughing, and urging her to make him take it ; 
while old Mrs. Hadlock, who was rather feeble, 
sat leaning forward in her chair, her spectacles 
shoved up on her forehead, as much interested as 
any of the group. The kitten, excited by the 
racket, stood on her hind feet, holding by one 
fore paw to Fannie’s gown, and with the other 
striving to reach the baby’s long dress. 

“ If that was my baby,” said Cameron, I don’t 
believe anybody would have to coax me to take it.” 

Take it, John,” said his wife ; “ you know 
you’ve got to learn to hold it.” 

“Wait till it’s bigger, Fannie.” 

“ Poh I Hold out your hands, and I’ll put him in.” 

John at length held out his hands, every finger 
of which was separated to its greatest extent. It 
was a funny sight to see this great fellow, now 
considered the strongest man in town, except 
Lion Ben and Edmund Griffin, holding that little 
bit of a baby with trepidation and anxiety in every 
feature, and bending over as if supporting some 
great weight. 

“I should think that baby weighed one hun- 


102 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


dred and fifty, by the face he makes up,” said the 
captain. 

I should think it was a barrel of pork,” said 
Lion Ben. “Is it heavy, John?” 

“ Do take it, Fannie. I shall let it fall ; I know 
I shall. I feel it slipping. It will fall on the 
hearth.” 

“ Let me have it,” said the Lion, taking the 
infant from John, much to his relief, who now drew 
a long breath, 

“ There, John, that’s the way to hold a baby ; ” 
and placing it on the palm of his right hand, he 
put the other behind it, sitting it partially upright. 
This sight occasioned greater merriment than the 
other ; the head and shoulders of the infant only 
occupied the centre of his palm, while the fingers 
extended beyond, and Ben’s great thumb, larger 
than the baby’s arm, stuck up over its head. 

Old Mrs. Hadlock laughed till her spectacles 
dropped on the floor and the tears ran down her 
cheeks. 

“ Just look at that thumb ; just look at it — will 
you ? ” cried Cameron. “ Mrs. Rhines, there was 
a law in my country, that a man might beat his 
wife if lie didn’t use a stick larger than his 



JOHN’S FIRST LESSON IN BABY -TENDING. — Page 102. 





JOHN’S FIRST LESSON IN BABY-TENDING. 103 

thumb. Ben might beat you with a sled-stake 
according to that.” 

I don’t feel the least mite afraid of him,” said 
Sally. 

At this Walter and Ned, unable longer to restrain 
themselves, joined in the merriment, and, flinging 
the door wide open, entered the room. 

Seems to me you’re having kind of a nice time 
here,” said Walter. 

That’s so,” said the captain. “We’re putting 
John through the manual — learning him how to 
hold the baby ; but he’s dreadful dull I Never 
saw a green hand, trying to steer, half so awk- 
ward.” 

“ It’s so little, Walter,” said John, “ I was afraid 
to take hold of it for fear I should hurt it, and 
afraid if I didn’t it would fall on the hearth.” 

“ Little ! ” said the captain ; “ it’s as large as 
you was at the same age, and not much smaller 
than Ben.” 

“ 0, father, I never was so small as that I ” 

“ Yes, you was ; if you don’t believe me, ask 
your mother.” . 

“Captain,” said Walter, “I think the wind is 
hauling to north-east.” 


104 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


Then we must start the vessels in the morn- 
ing.” 

I have seen the men ; they will be on hand by 
sunrise.” 

What did they say about selling ? ” 

They were all willing. I told them you would 
choose Captain Savage ; they said they would 
choose Seth Storer. I went to see them. They 
chose Nat Edwards.” 

Those are all good men.” 

I went to see Edwards ; he will stand. I told 
them they had better go on board the brigantine 
and see her to-day, as we should start her the mo- 
ment the wind came fair, and gave them a copy of 
my bills of lading. They’ve gone aboard the ves- 
sel this afternoon.” 

^‘There’s that iron,” said John; ^‘if the ship’s 
going away, it must come ashore this afternoon.” 

“ What iron ? ” asked the captain. 

A lot of old iron, father, that I bought in Trini- 
dad — that is, what Sam Holland didn’t fling at the 
pirates’ heads. Just what we want to go into the 
spars of this vessel, and to strap dead-eyes, and for 
the bobstays. Father, I wish you could have heard 
or seen that creature. I don’t think he knows 


John’s first lesson in babytending. 105 


what fear is. There the bullets were flying round 
his head ; he didn’t mind them more than though 
they had been peas. There was an anvil among 
the old iron, with the horn broken ofl‘. He took it 
right up over his head, as though it didn’t weigh 
ten pounds, and, screeching out, ^ Stan’ from un- 
der ! ’ flung it down on the head of a nigger that 
was climbing up the side, smashed his head all to 
pieces, broke the boat’s thwart in two, and went 
right through her bottom. Though we were flght- 
ing for our lives, I couldn’t help laughing to hear 
him screech, ^ There ! didn’t I tell you you’d git 
hurted if you didn’t stan’ from under ? ’ ” 

Come,” said Ben, let us go and get that iron ; 
take father’s scow. We’ll bring it all at once, and 
get back by supper time.” 

No sooner had they gone than Captain Rhines 
brought out four guns, and began to wash out the 
barrels and oil the locks ; then, setting them up in 
the corner to dry, he went to the shore to over- 
haul his gunning-float, and stop some rents made 
by the sun. 

The younger portion of the community around 
Pleasant Cove and Rhinesville cherished the idea 
that John Rhines was nearly as strong as Lion 


106 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


Ben, notwithstanding Joe Griffin, Captain Rhines, 
and the older people all shook their heads when 
the idea was broached, as it frequently was ; but 
when they came to handle the iron, and put it into 
the scow, Walter and Ned found the older people 
knew best, and never again instituted comparisons 
between Lion Ben and other men. 


THE GODSOES. 


107 


CHAPTER VI. 


THE GODSOES. 


S the party came up from the shore, after 



landing the iron, John made a signal to 
Walter to lag behind, and led the way into a 
rough shed that stood near the edge of the bank, 
where Captain Rhines kept his nets, fishing-lines, 
decoys, boats^ sails, paint-pots, and other gear. 
John turned a half-hogshead tub bottom up, and 
they sat down upon it. 

^^IVe been trying, Walter, ever since we got 
home, to catch you alone. Now, tell how you man- 
aged it with old Mr. Godsoe.’^ 

I didn’t manage it at all ; I haven’t seen him.” 
How is that ? I should think, if he missed you 
at the shore, he would have come up to your house 
as fast as his old legs would carry him.” 

Well, he was in a terrible way, he and his wife 
both, when they heard that we were attacked by a 


108 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


pirate, and that the captain of her was Pete Clash, 
because they knew that their John went with him, 
and that they kept together for years afterwards, 
because some of our boys saw both of them on 
board a Guineaman, and told them about it. The 
old gentleman posted right off to find me, but I 
had gone down to see Sam’s mother. He asked 
father whether I had seen or heard anything of 
John, or if he was on board the pirate with Clash. 
Father said I hadn’t said anything about seeing 
him, and, if he had been on board the vessel, of 
course I would have said something about it. He 
then went to Danforth Eaton, and said to him, 

‘ Danforth, you know my poor boy went off with 
Clash, and that the only time we ever heard from 
him they were together. Do you think he was 
aboard that vessel? Now, Danforth, if you know 
anything about it, tell me, for anything is better 
than this dreadful doubt that has been wearing on 
his mother and me for years.’ Danforth said he 
replied, ‘ No, uncle, I know he wasn’t there, or I 
should have seen him, and I should certainly have 
known him.’ This served to pacify him, and he 
gave it up.” 

“ I wonder what Dan would say if we should 


THE GOHSOES. 


109 


tell him he wanted to knock John on the head with 
the boat’s tiller after he was wounded, and was his 
doctor for weeks.” 

“ Since that I have dodged the old gentleman.” 

I should have thought your folks would have 
questioned you.” 

They did. When I came home, mother said, 
^ Mr. Godsoe has been here to see you, to inquire 
for John. He was afraid he might have been 
aboard that vessel with Pete Clash.’ I replied 
that they were all negroes, Portuguese, French- 
men, and Spaniards, except Pete Clash, and a man 
who called himself Richard Arkwright, and said 
that he hailed from Shields, England ; and that 
ended the matter, as far as seeking information 
from me was concerned ; but there’s the supper 
horn. Let us go.” 

Although Walter congratulated himself upon 
being relieved from further questioning, the anx- 
iety of Mr. Godsoe was not allayed by conversing 
with Eaton and Mrs. Griffin, neither were his fears, 
that his prodigal son might have been one of the 
brigantine’s crew, entirely removed, as we shall 
perceive, if, leaving the merry company at the 
captain’s, we join ourselves to the circle around 


no 


THE CHILD OP THE ISLAND GLEN. 


his fireside. Mr. Godsoe and his wife were in 
good circumstances, the parents of a numerous 
family, and, though on the declivity of life, still 
vigorous. Although in the spring and fall afflicted 
somewhat with rheumatism, the old gentleman 
could still perform a good day’s work, while his 
wife, who was younger, could spin, weave, milk, 
and make butter with the best. They were uni- 
versally respected for their sincere piety and 
neighborly qualities. The old gentleman had been 
a sailor in his youth, but early abandoned the pur- 
suit to till the so’l. Edward, the youngest child, — 
an intelligent, industrious young man, of excellent 
disposition, and unmarried, — lived with his par- 
ents. These three, together with a hired man in 
the summer, and female help occasionally, com- 
posed the home circle, the remaining children, 
with the exception of John, being married, and 
settled not far off. The misconduct and absence 
of their youngest son were sources of great anxiety. 
Nevertheless, they were in general cheerful, being 
sustained by the consolations of religion, and never 
ceased to hope and pray for his reformation and 
return. It was the custom of the family to per- 
form the evening devotions directly after supper. 


THE GODSOES. 


Ill 


“ Edward/^ said the old gentleman, as they rose 
from the table, “ hand me the Bible and my 
glasses.” 

He read Psalm cxvi. They were accustomed 
to read the Scriptures in course. After pouring 
out his heart in prayer, he said, — 

Them are good words, wife. Seems as though 
they were just made a-purpose for us at this pres- 
ent time to hold us up, they^re so kind of hearten- 
ing. David says he means to pray to God just as 
long as he lives, because he feels he ain’t talking 
in the air, but the Lord listens and hears to him, 
just as he has many times afore. I ain’t any 
scholar, but I take it he means to say that where 
he’s found help he intends to keep going, and to 
let the Lord know he’s sensible of his goodness. 
That’s nateral, to go to the friend that’s allers stuck 
by us, afore seeking to strangers. How is that, 
wife ? Does it strike you that way ? ” 

“ Yes, husband, because he says arterwards that 
he was in great distress, and the Lord took him 
out of it.” 

All our children, except John, have been a raal 
blessing and comfort to us. We believe the Lord 
has heard our prayer for them, and that Edward, 


112 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


Isaac, and Mary have given their hearts to hiib 
and as I read that psalm, it seemed to say to me 
that if we keep going to the Lord, that has done 
so much for us, and are thankful for all that’s past, 
he’ll remember this poor boy of ours, and if he 
don’t see tit to restore him to us, will have mercy 
on his soul ; or if he’s dead, to hoj)e the Lord has 
forgiven his sins ; for we did our duty by him as 
far as we knew.” 

Father,” said Edward, “ you don’t think John 
was in the brigantine — do you ? ” 

“ 0, Mr. Godsoe,” said his wife, I never can 
believe our boy would turn pirate, and try to kill 
his own folks. He never was like Peter Clash ; 
and before he came here, and when John used 
to have the GriflSn boys, Isaac Murch, and John 
Rhines for playmates, and before he took to going 
with that old man-of-wars-man, Dick Halpin, he 
was a good boy, and obedient.” 

As for saying, wife, that I believe our boy was 
one of those pirates, I can’t; but here’s where it 
is : we know he went away with Clash to Nova 
Scotia, because the captain they went with told 
me so ; we know too that Tom Banister saw them in 
the West Indies but a few years ago ; so we know 


THE G0DS0E8. 


113 


they kept together, aod were shipmates then 
aboard a Guineaman. Merrithew says four of the 
pirates jumped overboard out of the boat when Sam 
Holland flung down the scalding water. Sewall 
Lancaster shot a man ofi* the cross-trees they never 
found, though he fell on deck ; and there might be 
a good many more killed, and flung overboard by 
the pirates themselves, or that jumped overboard. 
What wouldn’t I give to be downright sartain that 
he wasn’t among those missing ! 1 don’t believe 
it, wife ; I don’t believe it, Edward ; still there’s 
that terrible doubt, gnawing, gnawing ever since 
I heard that* Pete Clash was captain of that 
vessel.” 

“ 0, husband, do you remember how dreadful 
sick John was when he was a year old, and how 
worried we were for fear he would die? How 
little we knew then of all the heartaches that in- 
nocent babe would some time give us. Often now, 
when I see mothers crying, and taking on as 
though their hearts would break over some little 
infant, I think it is not allers the bitterest tears 
that are shed on the grave, or around the coffin.” 

The sudden and unusual excitement begotten 
by the roar of the Languedoc’s long eighteen was 
8 


.114 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


not destined soon to subside ; everything now went 
with a rush. No sooner had Walter and Ned 
taken leave, than Captain Rhines said, — 

‘^Now we must turn in right off; there’s plenty 
to do in the morning. John, I’ve cleaned the 
guns; there’s some broken flocks of wild geese 
round the bay, though the heft of ’em are gone. 
I haven’t shot a bird this spring — felt too down- 
hearted. You and I must be oft' by three o’clock, 
and see if we can’t get some geese, or whistlers, 
or something.” 

“ Can’t I go, father?” said Ben. 

“No, you’re too big; the float won’t hold us. 
We must be back to breakfast, for I must have 
that piece of corn in before Edmund Griffin gets 
his in.” 

“ Then I’ll help get the Casco under way,” said 
Ben ; “ then, Sally, we must go home. It is time 
I was ploughing.” 

The sun was little over an hour high, the next 
morning, when Mrs. Rhines, looking from the 
kitchen window, exclaimed, — 

“ Here comes John and his father, with a back- 
load of some kind of birds, and breakfast ain’t 
ready.” 


THE GODSOES. 


115 


“Four geese, seven whistlers, and one duck,” 
said the captain, as they threw down their birds. 
“ Ought to got two more geese, but John’s gun 
missed fire. Went over to Smutty Nose, just 
threw the tolers into the edge of the water, for 
the whistlers were right in sight, and hid behind 
a clump of bushes ; they swam right in. We 
cut away, and got seven ; wasn’t fifteen minutes. 
Breakfast ready, wife ? ” 

“ Almost. Ben hasn’t come yet.” 

“Well, he’s coming. They’ve hove up the an- 
chor, and made sail on the ship. I saw him sit 
down to his oars just as we hauled the float up. 
I don’t see where Ricker is ; he was to be here to 
help plough. Here he comes.” 

As soon as the meal was despatched, John took 
his hat, and saying, “ Good by, Ben and Sally ; I 
shall be over to the island before a week,” pre- 
pared to leave. 

“Where are you going, John?” asked the 
captain. 

“ To the ship-yard. Charlie wants me to do the 
iron-work of the ship. Joe Griffin’s going to help 
me till his farming comes on.” 

“ Going to work so soon ! ” said his mother. “ I 


116 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


thought we should have had you at home a little 
while.’^ 

Charlie has put eighty men on the vessel ; they 
are as thick as they can work ; want to get the 
vessel out to Martinique, and away again, before 
the hurricane months come. I shall be at home 
every night, mother.” 

Can’t go, Ben,” said the captain ; “ got to help 
eat a goose.” 

“ We must go, father; we’re needed at home.” 

“ Nonsense ! Lucy is as good as a man to look 
out, and a great deal better than some men.” 

ii We’ve been away a good while ; there’s lambs 
and calves coming along, and Lucy has a good 
deal of milk to take care of ; the children are 
young, and will think something has happened.” 

It was one of those beautiful, balmy spring 
mornings, that people who have passed the merid- 
ian of life generally contrive to mar the enjoy- 
ment of, by declaring it to be a weather-breeder, 
and too fine to last. 

The Casco and the Languedoc were slowly 
rounding the point that formed one side of the 
cove, for the wind was light, the ship bound to 
Portland, the brigantine to Boston. Lion Ben pull- 


THE GODSOES. 


117 


ing out of the cove, the blades of his oars glisten- 
ing in the sun as he lifted them from the water; 
robins and sparrows eagerly searching the earth 
for worms, as Ricker and Tom Valentine took the 
plough from the cart and straightened the cattle 
in the furrow. 

I declare,’^ said the captain, as he threw off his 
coat and grasped the plough-handle, “ this plough 
hasn’t had anythihg done to her after all, and we 
carried her home on purpose. The boys’ coming 
home has knocked everything else out of my 
head. Can’t break the day’s work; she must go 
now ; sorry though. I wanted to make good work 
to-day.” 

The captain did make excellent work, however. 
There were no balks, the furrow was laid over flat 
and suent, while the robins, abandoning the ground 
previously ploughed, kept close to the captain’s 
heels, to catch the worms and grubs he unearthed. 

“ Why, this plough goes better than she did the 
other day,” he said, after the first bout. Why, 
she goes first rate,” said he, after two bouts more ; 
^Hhe chain must be hooked different.” 

The chain is hooked just exactly where it was 
before,” said Tom — “in the next link to the 
swivel.” 


118 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


“ Then the clevis has been shifted.’^ 

“No, sir; the clevis is just where it was when 
we left work the other day.” 

“ Then what under heavens makes so much dif- 
ference in her going? Now she turns first rate; 
then she made miserable work of it.” 

“ Guess I know,” said Ricker, “ what’s done it.” 

“ What ? ” 

“ I think the pint of her was crooked, and that 
big gun that was fired the other morning straight- 
ened it. It let a melancholy old gentleman of my 
acquaintance know that his boy had got home.” 

“Is that so? ” 

“ Bet a gallon of cider on it, captain.” 

“Won’t take you up; ’fraid I should lose the 
cider. — How is Charlie getting along ? ” said the 
captain, when he met John at the supper table. 

“ He’s got his house full of men, and part of 
them sleep in the barn, and some go home nights ; 
the riggers came this forenoon, brought the rig- 
ging in a sloop from Portland all fitted, and the 
sails ; have set the masts, and will put the rigging 
over the mast-heads to-morrow. They are going 
to load and rig her on the stocks, and bend her 
sails. There’s a crowd of them, I tell you — calk- 


THE GODSOES. 


119 


ers, riggers, blacksmiths, and carpenters, all at 
work together.’^ 

Walter returned from Portland the same night 
that the captain got through planting his corn, 
having left his mate to finish discharging the 
Casco, and bring her back. Not having made up 
their minds what to do with her, they saved port 
charges by keeping her at home ; and she wanted 
some repairs, which they could make cheaper at 
the yard of Charlie Bell than at Portland. Wal- 
ter now put on a check shirt, and went to work 
with the rest on his vessel, a brigantine of three 
hundred tons, but as yet without a name ; built for 
speed, as that was now the great requisite. A better 
illustration of American enterprise than was fur- 
nished by the fitting away of that vessel it would 
be diflScult to find. Along the bilge on both sides 
were calkers driving oakum ; below them, men 
paying seams with pitch, and covering the whole 
surface of the plank with brimstone and tar — the 
best they could do for a bottom in those days. 
On deck, riggers were sending yards aloft, and • 
blacksmiths driving bolts. 

Into a large bow port, made for the purpose, 
barrels of pork, beef, lard, and bread were going; 


120 


THE CHILD OP THE ISLAND GLEN. 


and up the sides corn, meal, fish, and beans ; yet 
there was no confusion ; all was systematized ; each 
man had his work, each gang their boss. There 
was no plugging of bolt-heads, planing wales, or 
planks, or any of the nice finish that is now put on 
vessels ; broadaxe, adze, and foreplane did the 
work ; oil, lampblack, or bright varnish served for 
paint. 

While Walter was at Portland, Captain Rhines, 
Ben, and John had bought the Languedoc ; they 
had also made an arrangement with Ned, before 
he left, to take a quarter and become master, pro- 
vided they bought her. They now met at Captain 
Rhines\s, together with the owners of the Casco, 
to talk over matters in regard to both vessels. 

“ Friends,’^ said the captain, “when Jonathan 
Elwell was killed, a few years ago, he hadn’t paid 
for his place ; there was most three hundred dol- 
lars back. After his death, Sam brought it down 
to two hundred ; but now he is dead, poor boy, 
and she is left alone, and, more than that, very 
• poor, with nothing but her thirds of that place, that 
she can’t carry on. Her husband was killed, made 
no will, and the place fell to Sam. He was killed, 
made no will, and the place belongs to Uncle Sam 


THE GODSOES. 


121 


Elwell, Jonathan’s brother, the nearest kin. She 
wants to stay there ; the place is dear to her. The 
ship has made a piofitable vige ; paid for herself j 
all oiir relatives have come home safe. What say 
you to buying that place (Elwell don’t want it ; 
will sell it cheap, because it is encumbered with 
the widow’s thirds), and giving her a right-out 
deed of it?” 

“ I say amen to it, with all my heart,” replied 
Walter. 

“ And I,” responded Lion Ben, Charlie Bell, and 
Captain Murch. Fred Williams also assented 
with great readiness. 

I’ll tell you,” said the captain, “ how it is : 
no other spot can ever seem to her like that. Her 
husband sleeps there ; she has spent a great many 
happy years there before her trouble came ; there 
is the orchard Sam set out, and everything she 
sees reminds her of him. Some folks couldn’t 
bear to stay there, and be reminded of their loss ; 
but it ain’t so with her. I’ve known her from a 
girl, and know her mind on such things. To take 
her away from there would break her heart. The 
next thing,” he continued, is to know what we 
shall do with this brigantine, now we’ve got her.” 


122 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


“ I suppose/’ said Ben, “ we must have her regis- 
tered, and make an American vessel of her, enti- 
tled to all the rights and privileges of an American 
vessel, before we can do much with her, especially 
in these ticklish times, when very little respect is 
paid to the papers of any neutral vessel.” 

“ There’s no foreign built vessel can be regis- 
tered,” said the captain, ‘‘ even if bought by Amer- 
icans, except she has been condemned as a prize, 
or been wrecked and repaired at an expense of 
the greater part of her value, so as to make her, to 
all intents, American built. We shall have to pe- 
tition Congress.” 

There’ll be a long tail to that,” said Ben. 

“We can petition right off, and send it to Con- 
gress ; in the mean time, obtain a certificate of 
ownership from the custom-house, a sea letter, 
and run her under that. If it was only war out- 
right, — and all it lacks is just the name, — she 
would make a splendid privateer. Wouldn’t she 
pick a vessel out of a convoy as a hawk takes a 
pigeon out of a flock, right in the face and eyes of 
the men-of-war, and show them a clean pair of 
heels afterwards?” 

“ How shall we get that name off of her? ” said 


THE GODSOES. 


123 


John. “French built and with a French name, 
she would stand a poor chance to fall in with an 
English man-of-war.” 

“ How would you go to work if you wanted to 
change your own name ? ” 

“ Petition the Great and General Court.” 

“ You must petition Congress in regard to a 
vessel.” 

“ What shall we call her ? ” asked Ben. 

“ She was named before after a province of 
France, suppose we call her the ^ Massachusetts.^ ” 


124 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


CHAPTER YII. 

THE MIDNIGHT LAUNCH. 

I T was about eleven o’clock at night when Lion 
Ben was awakened by the barking of his dog, 
and shortly after some one tapped on his bedroom 
window. 

Who’s there ? ” 

John and Walter.” 

Any bad news ? ” said Ben, as he opened the 
door. 

“ No, but we couldn’t get time to come to the 
island in the daytime, so came in the night. It is 
snapping times over there, I tell you ; corn and 
flour going down the main hatchway, beef and pork 
coming into the bow port, riggers setting up rig- 
ging, and Peterson driving oakum.” 

“ What sent you over here this time of night ? ” 
“ 0, necessity, the mother of invention. Charlie 
wants you to cut him launching-ways on the 


THE MIDNIGHT LAUNCH. 


125 


island. He’s thinned off the big trees round the 
cove, and it’s bad hauling such sticks, this time 
of year, any distance on wheels over rough 
ground. They will have to be rousing big sticks, 
because the vessel is to be loaded ; but he says 
there are trees on the upper end of the island 
that you can cut, roll into the water, and tow 
right to the stern of the vessel.” 

^‘How big does he want ’em?” 

^^He don’t know. Says he never saw a ves- 
sel loaded on the stocks ; but he’s bound to do 
it, and leaves you to judge of the size.” 

‘‘I suppose they ought to be twelve by fifteen 
or eighteen inches. But what makes him load on 
the stocks?” 

“Because,” said Walter, “it will save time, and 
handling over stuff. When she’s finished, she’s 
loaded. The English are short of supplies, the 
French privateers have captured so many of their 
vessels, and the sooner I get there the more I 
shall get. Besides, I w^ant to get away from 
there before the hurricane months. I would also 
like to oblige the English admiral. He treated 
us handsomely; gave up the Languedoc to us 
when he might just as well have kept her; said 


126 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


he had heard of the treaty between Great Britain 
and the United States, and was glad of it.” 

Charlie wants you to build the ways,” said 
John, “ so as to have the vessel launched the mo- 
ment she is ready.” 

“ But who’s going to do my farming ? and my 
sheep must be sheared.” 

He says, if you’ll only boss the job, see to 
cutting the sticks, getting them over, building the 
ways, and get the vessel all ready to launch (be- 
cause he’s got enough to do to finish up the car- 
penter work), he’ll send Thorndike and Harry 
Williams over to do your farming; Joel Ricker 
and Joe Griffin to help you cut and hew the 
sticks of timber.” 

What sloop is that lying at the yard ? ” 

A New London sloop, loaded with corn to go 
into the vessel.” 

Is the rudder hung ? ” 

Yes.” 

“ What are the riggers about ? ” 

Setting up rigging ; going to bend sails to- 
morrow.” 

How is father? ” 

Happy as a clam at high water ; proud as a 


THE MIDNIGHT LAUNCH. 


127 


peacock because he got done planting before Ed- 
mund Griffin. Such driving times just suit him; 
says it is almost as good as being at sea.” 

The vessel was at last ready, cargo on board, 
sails bent, crew shipped, and their dunnage in 
the forecastle. Sewall Lancaster was mate, Henry 
Griffin second mate, and among the crew were 
three men who were in the Casco. 

Some boys will doubtless read this book who 
never saw a vessel, many who never saw one 
launched, and many more who have seen vessels 
launched, who could not for the life of them tell 
how it is performed. 

Let us look on while Lion Ben and Captain 
Rhines, with a gang of carpenters to assist them, 
proceed to lay the ways. 

Where there is an abundant depth of water, ves- 
sels are almost universally set up with the stern 
to the water ; but, where the water is shoal, and 
there is risk of their striking the bottom, they are 
set up the other way, and launched bow foremost. 
The reason of this is, that vessels are fuller forward 
than aft, and when they are launched stern fore- 
most, plunge deeper than when launched the other 
way. 


128 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GI;EN. 


Now, this vessel was very sharp aft. Charlie 
had exerted himself to the utmost to make a fast 
sailer, a real racer, in order that she might stand a 
better chance of escaping the French and English 
cruisers, according as she might be bound to 
French or English ports. 

There was not a great depth of water at his 
yard ; he had, therefore, as the vessel was so sharp, 
and would plunge deep, set her up to launch bow 
foremost. 

The keel of a vessel sits on blocks about four 
feet apart and three feet in height, and as the 
keel is shoe,’’ and all in the neighborhood of two 
feet in depth, this affords distance sufficient be- 
tween the bottom of the vessel and the ground to 
work under the bottom. These blocks on the 
upper side slope about five eighths of an inch to a 
foot. The vessel is kept upright by shores on 
each side ; she is placed as near the edge of the 
water at high tide as is possible, and not interfere 
with working, that is, provided she sits on the 
ground as Charlie Bell’s vessel did. Sometimes 
there is a wharf or platform built over the water, 
and the vessel is built on that. In that case the 
ways do not require to be so long. 


THE MIDNIGHT LAUNCH. 


129 


The first thing that Lion Ben and his carpenters 
did, was to place tlie large sticks he had brought 
from Elm Island, in parallel lines, each side of the 
vessel, and under her bottom from her stern-post, 
down on to the beach, at low water ; the ends that 
would, be under water were kept down with 
stones, and they were strongly fastened together 
by cross-ties, to prevent their spreading, and 
thoroughly blocked beneath, that they might not 
spring or settle, as they were to bear the whole 
weight of the vessel and her cargo. These tim- 
bers were made smooth on the upper surface, 
laid with a perfectly true slope into the water 
at an angle of seven eighths of an inch to a foot ; 
this is called the sliding plank, because the vessel 
slides on it into the water. A ribbon of wood, 
five inches square, was now fastened to the outer 
edge of this timber, and braced by a great num- 
ber of shores, one end of which rests on the 
ground and against posts driven into the soil, 
and the other ends are confined to the ribbon. 
This ribbon is to form a groove, in order to pre- 
vent the cradle, which is to slide on this timber, 
from running off sidewise. The whole surface 
of this timber is generally smeared with tallow, 
9 


130 


THE CHILD OP THE ISLAND GLEN. 


soap, and oil. Lion Ben and Captain Rhines, 
however, strewed flax-seed on the timber with 
the grease, which, when it is ground and made 
hot by the friction, is the best of lubricants, because 
it is all available, and in warm weather, grease 
often strikes into the wood before the vessel starts, 
leaving the surface dry. These timbers are the 
sliding planks on which the vessel is to run, and 
are about as far apart as one sixth of the width of 
the vessel. Now for the cradle, in which the ship 
is to set, and that is to run on this track : two 
large timbers, called bilgeways, nearly as long as 
the vessel, were now placed on this track, having 
the under sides well greased ; directly over this, 
on the vessel’s bottom, a board was slightly 
fastened, then blocks were laid on these bilge- 
ways, and on these planks to fill up between the 
bilgeways and the board fastened to the bottom, 
and at each end towards the bow and stern, where 
the distance is greater by reason of the crook of 
the vessel, short shores are placed, the bottoms 
of them spiked to the bilgeways, and the top end 
resting against a plank that reaches the board on 
the bottom ; this cradle was then confined by 
cross-ties, that it might not spread. Chains are 


THE MIDNIGHT LAUNCH. 


131 


used now, but iron was not so plenty with Charlie. 
The cradle is now made and brought up to the 
vessel’s bottom, but it is all loose ; it is therefore 
necessary, by some method, to bring the weight 
of the vessel on it, and make it fit tight to her 
bottom. 

Lion Ben and his crew now went to making 
oaken wedges, about three inches wide and a foot 
in length ; they made scores of them with the 
broadaxe. They are all made by machinery now. 
They stuck these wedges all along on both sides 
of the vessel, between the upper plank on the 
bilgeways and the board on the vessel’s bottom, 
and drove them slightly in with a maul, just 
enough to keep them there ; this brought the 
cradle to fit snug to the vessel’s bottom. They 
now fastened two short shores, called dog-shores, 
to the bilgeways and to the sliding plank, in order 
to hold the vessel when the blocks should be taken 
from under her, and that she might not start before 
they were ready for her. The vessel was now 
ready for launching ; yes, and ready for sea. 

Our young readers probably know that there is 
a great difference in the height to which the tide 
flows. Between the low and high course of tides, 


132 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


there may be three feet difference. On our coast, 
a northerly wind also shrinks the tide, driving it 
out, while an easterly wind increases it. The 
highest, or spring tides, as they are called, come 
on the new and the full moon. 

As Charlie’s vessel was sharp and loaded, and 
the water at his yard not of great depth, it was 
important that he should take all the advantage 
possible of the tide ; and the night tide being the 
highest, she was to be launched in the night ; and 
as it was new moon, there would not be much 
light. 

Great was the excitement among the boys as the 
eventful time drew near, for various and substan- 
tial reasons. In the first place, launching a vessel 
loaded, rigged, and ready for sea, was something 
they had never seen or heard of ; and the story was, 
she was not going to stop, after she started on the 
ways, till she got to the West Indies. She was to 
be launched bow foremost, — a thing that nobody 
there had ever seen done but Captain Rhines, not 
even Charlie Bell, — and to crown the whole, she 
was to be launched in the night. Most devoutly did 
they wish it might be fair weather, and watched 
every cloud in the sky, as, rain or shine, they knew 


THE MIDNIGHT LAUNCH. 


133 


it must come off, and they had some plans of their 
own that a rain would sadly derange, if not defeat. 

The site of Charlie’s yard was on the south-west 
side of the long point that formed one side of the 
harbor of Pleasant Cove. He had been very 
sparing of the timber in the vicinity of his yard, 
cutting a tree only when he fell short of a stick 
of timber, and never cutting anything for wood, 
as he did not wish to expose his yard to the 
violence of the northerly winds. Thus the shores 
were fringed with trees, and the place encom- 
passed with forest, a space sufficient for the yard, 
and a good road to it, only having been cleared: 

Born in a land where wood was scarce and pro- 
portionately prized, he disliked to cut a tree, and 
abhorred the wholesale destruction of the forest, 
that was going on all around him. 

The morning of the day on the evening of which 
the launch was to come off, dawned beautifully. 
All were busily engaged making the final prepara- 
tions ; Lion Ben and his crew greasing the ways, 
putting a shore here and a block there ; carpenters 
putting ring bolts into the decks, making cleats 
and belaying-pins ; the crew at work upon the 
rigging, getting cables aboard and coiling them 


134 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


away, slushing the masts and clearing up decks; 
the cook, with a fire in the galley, was scouring the 
rust from his coppers, and roosters crowing lustily 
in the coops. Charlie was cutting port-holes for 
some wooden guns called quakers, that were 
intended to scare the cruisers with a show of 
force. There were six on a side, but for the sake 
of looks, port-holes were painted the whole length 
of the vessel. Thus engaged, he noticed there 
seemed to be a great many boys flitting round. 
First came Bobby Smullen, then Tim Lancaster, 
then three Chase boys, Edmund Griffin and Win- 
throp, and at last Will Griffin, Fred Williams’s clerk. 

Will,” said Charlie, ‘‘ how came you out of the 
store ? ” 

Mr. Williams gave me a holiday, as Walter was 
going away.” 

By and by along came Tom Merrithew, two 
Thaxter boys, and Henry Valentine. They all sat 
down together on a stick of timber, apparently 
waiting for something, with the exception of 
Bob Smullen and Tim Lancaster, who had perched 
themselves on a high rock, that formed the ex- 
tremity of the long point. At length the two 
boys began to clap their hands, when the rest 


THE MIDNIGHT LAUNCH. 


135 


all hurried to join them, and looking up from 
his work, Charlie saw a boat rounding the point, 
in which were Ben Rhines, Jr., his mother, and 
Thorndike. Delighted, Charlie ran to meet them. 

0, mother ! I’m so glad to see you, and Bennie, 
too ; and Mary will be so glad ! ” 

As most of our readers know, Charlie had been 
brought up on Elm Island, and loved Lion Ben and 
his wife with all his heart, they having adopted 
him when he supposed himself an orphan. Ben, 
Jr., was then a baby, and Charlie took care of him 
a great part of the time, and was all the play- 
mate he had ; and Bennie loved Charlie as well as 
Charlie loved his father and mother. Ben now 
joined the boys, who had evidently been expecting 
him, and a long and animated consultation ensued, 
at the conclusion of which Ben came along where 
Charlie was at work, and said, Charlie, would 
you let us build some fires to-night, to see the 
vessel go off ; there won’t be much of any moon, 
only star-light.” 

Yes, you may build as many fires as you like ; 
the ground is soaking wet ; fires can’t run ; only 
don’t build them near the vessel, or near the 
chips.” 


136 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


May we have some chips ? ” 

“Yes, you may have all the chips you want; 
only you must carry them off, and make your fires 
away from the vessel. ’’ 

“ May we have some dead wood out of the 
woods ? ” 

“ Yes, all you want. I shall want some light to 
see to launch by.’^ 

The boys were all activity now. Will Glriffin 
set out for home on the run, while the others 
began to pile up the chips in heaps, selecting the 
largest billets. Never were bo3^s who had occa- 
sion to make a blaze blessed with better material, 
or a greater abundance of it. Two vessels had 
been built before at this j^ard — the Casco and the 
Arthur Brown. At the present time, such chips 
as the bo3^s used would be sold at a high price for 
firewood ; but then they were suffered to lie and 
rot, except that, once in a while, Charlie hauled a 
load to the house to kindle his fire; or when any 
neighbor wanted a load of wood in haying time, 
and couldn’t stop to pick it up in the woods, he 
helped himself There were also large billets, 
sawed from the ends of timber and planks, for 
there was very little economy exercised then in 


THE MIDNIGHT LAUNCH. 


137 


cutting or using timber ; they took the best, and 
flung away the sap wood. 

In all directions through the woods that sur- 
rounded the yard and bordered the cove, lay 
trunks and tops of white oak, rock maple, and pine 
trees. Some had been blown up by the wind, 
others had been cut when Charlie fell short of 
timber, wanted some particular sticks, and couldn’t 
stop to go to a distance for more. Perhaps the 
root, the butt, or one arm had been taken, and the 
rest of the tree lay there. In another place a 
large tree had been cut, found hollow, or rotten, 
was condemned and abandoned. 

In about half an hour Will Griffin returned with 
his father’s oxen and a sled with boards on the 
bottom, and instantly, from behind logs and bushes, 
appeared any quantity of narrow axes. Carts had 
now become common enough at Pleasant Cove ; 
everybody who kept oxen had an ox-cart, and 
there were many wagons ; but the boys had evi- 
dently taken the sled for the convenience of load- 
ing large logs, and, besides, the oxen were large 
and strong, and the sled would slip quite easily 
over the chips in the yard and the wet moss and 
roots of trees in the forest. It seemed the boys 


138 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


had, when nobody knew it, formed a most mag- 
nificent plan, arranged all the details, and system- 
atized their operations as thoroughly in respect 
to their anticipated sport, as Charlie Bell and 
Lion Ben had in finishing and launching the brig-. 
antine. 

One thing, at least, was manifest : that nothing 
could be done till Ben Bhines arrived, whom, 
although only in his eighth year, they depended 
upon for spokesman. Alexander Chase had charge 
of the gang that were cutting the large logs in the 
woods — Sam Merrithew those collecting the chips, 
and Henry Valentine those who built the pens for 
the fires, while Will Griffin drove the team. At 
Charlie’s request, they built one pen on the end 
of the point, to give light by which to pick up the 
timber and planks of the cradle, that would go 
adrift when the vessel was launched. They had 
not only a numerous crew, but a strong one, for 
most of the boys were large, and all accustomed to 
hard work. They manifested no small degree of 
ingenuity in their proceedings, which were con- 
ducted in silence, with the greatest earnestness 
and gravity, much to the amusement of the men, 
who took note of their proceedings. They built 


THE MIDNIGHT LAUNCH. 


139 


square enclosures with logs notched together, six 
feet high, placing the largest logs at the bottom, 
and tapering off, as the enclosure went up, with 
those of smaller size. Inside, on the ground, they 
built two large arches, with billets and blocks of 
dry timber, with openings on the top for the fire 
to pass through, and to make a draft ; on top of 
this they piled all sorts of combustible mate- 
rials, — chips, limbs of trees, brush, intermixed 
with a large proportion of billets and logs, — in 
order that the flame might be both brilliant and 
lasting. The arches were then filled with shav- 
ings, pitch knots, and pine cones, that when dry 
are full of pitch, and very inflammable. 

Their expectation was, that the lighter material 
in the pen would flame up at first, make a bright 
glare, and then the oak, rock maple, and ash logs, 
of which the enclosures themselves were composed, 
burning more slowly, would prolong it. 

To the great delight of the boys, Charlie de- 
puted Ben to invite them all to dine with him after 
the carpenters were through, and Will Grifiin to 
take his oxen to the barn and feed them. Captain 
Rhines, Lion Ben, Charlie, and Joe Griffin kept on 
with their work, while the rest went to dinner, in 
order to eat with the boys. 


140 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


In the edge of the woods, at some distance from 
the vessel, stood two trees, a pine and a hemlock, 
perfectly dead and dry. The pine was. nearly bare 
of both limbs and bark ; a tall, naked shaft, full of 
holes bored by the yellow-hammers for nest places; 
but the hemlock was scrubby, presenting a vast 
mass of dry limbs, the lo^v^r ones almost within 
reach of the hand. 

When the Casco was built, a spruce pole had 
been spiked to the trees, and a kettle hung to heat 
pitch, and the heat of the fire had killed the roots. 

“ 0, boys,’’ said Tom Merrithew, “ let’s wall these 
trees in, and set them on fire. The logs are right 
here ; we shan’t need to haul ’em ; we can roll ’em 
right on to the work. Won’t there be a roaring 
and crackling in the old hemlock ! ” 

And the pine ; the-fire will go clear to the tip 
top on it,” said Alexander Chase. 

Charlie won’t let us,” said Tim Lancaster. “ He 
want’s ’em to bile pitch for the vessel’s bottom.” 

No, he don’t,” said Bob Smullen ; he’s got a 
brick place, and a great kettle in it on the pint, 
and don’t boil here now.” 

“ Bennie,” said Tom, ask him if we may.” 

“ Ask him yourself.” 


THE MIDNIGHT LAUNCH. 


141 


He won^t let me^ if I ask him ; but he will 
you.” 

“ I don’t want ter.” 

“ Bennie,” said Will, you know that lead cannon 
I’ve got?” 

« Yes.” 

“ I’ll give you that, if you will.” 

When will you give it to me ? ” 

When you go — to carry home with you.” 

To keep for my ownty downty ? ” 

Yes.” 

Well, I will.” 

At the dinner table Ben sat beside his mother. 

“Mother,” he whispered, when about half 
through dinner, and told her what he wanted. 
“ Will you ask him for me, marm V’ 

“ Ask him yourself, Bennie. If Charlie can do it, 
he’ll do it for you as quick as for me.” 

Ben, getting up in Charlie’s lap, put his arms 
round his neck, and apparently met with no diffi- 
culty in obtaining his suit. They had built their 
enclosure of logs round both trees, and made their 
arch of billets of wood, when a bright thought 
struck Will Griffin, as he said, all of a heap. 

“ Fellers ! fellers ! ” he screamed ; “ hear to me. 


142 


THE CHILD OP THE ISLAND GLEN. 


There’s lots of empty tar barrels lying round the 
yard. Let’s pile ’em up on this arch, ever so high. 
You better believe that will make a blaze, and 
we’ll keep it for the last going off.” 

This proposal was received with a universal 
shout of assent, and Bennie was forthwith de- 
spatched on another errand to Charlie, and with 
equal success. They knocked both heads out of 
the lower tier of barrels, placed them over holes 
in the tops of the wooden arches, and filled the 
arches and barrels with shavings and brush, then 
set other barrels on top of these, making the pile 
narrower as they went up. The pyramid was soon 
beyond their reach ; but they procured a long lad- 
der, a single block, and a rope to hoist the barrels, 
spiked poles to the trees to keep the barrels in 
place, and piled them, in a single tier, up the 
whole length of the ladder, then put their coppers 
together, and bought some powder. Edmund 
Griffin coaxed some from Joe, and Bennie from his 
grandfather and Uncle John ; then they nailed 
pieces of boards on the old pine, as there were no 
limbs to climb by. Will Griffin went up as far as 
he durst, till the old tree began to grow rotten, and 
filled some of the holes, made by the yellow-ham* 


THE MIDNIGHT LAUNCH. 


143 


mers, with powder, and plugged them up with 
treenails, that were lying about the yard. 

This busy day was now wearing to a close. Will 
went home with the oxen, while a portion of the 
others built a brush camp, collected brush to lie 
on, and wood for a fire, while the rest dug clams 
for their supper, and to eke out the other provis- 
ions they had brought from home. One reason that 
makes me think this affair of the boys was planned 
long beforehand, is, that Bennie now produced a 
peck of doughnuts, two custard pies, and some 
cold boiled beef. When Will returned, he also 
brought a keg of milk and some butter in a tin 
pail. 

Making a fire, they sat around it, laughed, ate, 
and talked till the stars came out. 

They now proceeded to make the final arrange- 
ments. Since Bennie had been so exceedingly use- 
ful, and, as it were, the hinge upon which the suc- 
cess of the enterprise had turned, the honor of 
lighting the grand beacon was assigned to him. 
Bobby Smullen and Tim Lancaster were to light 
the one on the end of the point. The piles nearest 
the ship were to be kindled the moment the order 
was given to wedge up. That on the point, when 


144 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


the order was given to knock away the dog-shores, 
and the great beacon after she was off, when the 
folks had nothing else to look at, and to afford them 
light to go home by. 

At this stage of proceeding came three more 
boys, fine appearing, but with clothes so patched 
and worn that it was impossible to distinguish the 
original cloth of which they were made. Although 
they brought no provisions, came so late, and after 
the work was all done, they were evidently ex- 
pected guests, and most cordially received. The 
boys seemed to vie with each other in making them 
welcome, and pressing therh to eat. 

The readers of Arthur Brown ” cannot have 
forgotten old Jim Colcord, to whom Lion Ben ad- 
ministered condign punishment, and washed his 
hands afterwards, for cheating Charlie Bell in a 
cow. Well, these were his boys. He kept them 
at work every moment, wouldn’t let them go to 
school, half starved them, and they would have 
been naked had it not been for the efforts of an ex- 
cellent mother, who could not go to meeting herself 
in the winter for want of clothes. Colcord Was 
wealthy, but an inveterate miser, and utterly des- 
titute of principle. 


THE MIDNIGHT LAUNCH. 


145 


The children, however, took after their mother, 
and every boy in the neighborhood loved them 
and pitied their hard lot. Unable to come in the 
daytime, they had stolen away in the evening, and 
were received with open arms by their young 
friends, who wondered to see how rapidly the food 
they placed before them disappeared, — for they 
ate like famished wolves. 

All hands now flung themselves upon the brush, 
and were soon sound asleep, having first piled 
wood upon the fire, in order that they might have 
some coals when they waked. 

They were awakened by a terrible yell from 
Will Griffin. They found him standing on one leg, 
and holding up the other, while Joe was looking at 
him and holding in his hand a pine stick, the end 
of which was blazing. 

What did you burn me for, Joe ? You’re a 
great fellow.” 

“ To wake you up. If you calc’late to see that 
vessel run off, you’d better be moving.” 

What time is it?” cried Tom Merrithew. 

^^It’s more than half past ten. It’s high tide at 
nineteen minutes past eleven, and the tide’s ahead 
of the almanac.” 


10 


146 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


The boys scrabbled up, each seized a firebrand, 
and ran to the vessel. 

The carpenters were all there, the crew on 
board, the topsail hoisted up and sheeted home, 
the top-gallant sail hanging in the clew-lines, the 
jib loosed, but not hoisted, and the stops cast off 
the mainsail, all ready to run up. 

In a few moments Charlie gave the order. 
Wedge up.” The carpenters then, on each side 
of the vessel, commenced to drive the long rows 
of wedges between the bilgeways and the vessel, 
with might and main, putting one on top of the 
other, where they went slack. 

The boys applied brands to the piles of combus- 
tibles around the vessel, and the tremendous blaze 
made every part of it and the surrounding forms 
visible. 

There’s Sewall Lancaster,” said Colcord, 
standing between the knight-heads, with a bottle 
of rum. He’s going, to name her.” 

The great power of so many wedges transferred 
the weight of the ship, in a great measure, to the 
cradle ; the shores were all removed, and the 
blocks on which the keel rested were now split 
out with iron wedges, and the whole weight of the 


THE MIDNIGHT LAUNCH. 


147 


\ 

\. 

Vessel rested on the cradle and sliding planks, 
which were slippery with grease. All that pre- 
vents her from starting are the dog-shores, for the 
wind is fair, and a light breeze filling the topsail. 

Knock away the dog-shores ! is the order. 

“ This vessel is named the Osprey ! shouted 
Lancaster, taking a drink from the bottle, and then 
breaking it on the bow. 

She began to move faster, and the smoke to rise 
from the ways beneath the tremendous pressure. 
Walter waved his hat in adieu, and a great shout 
arose from the crowd as the swift vessel plunged 
into her native element, flinging the spray high 
over her bows. Just as she arose on the return 
wave pushed before her, the boys applied the 
torch, and the flame, streaming skyward, illumined 
the whole horizon, and enabled the spectators, who 
crowded to the end of the point, to discern for 
some time the departing vessel. They could hear 
the creak of the blocks, and see the men distinctly 
as they hoisted tliQ mainsail, and hear the noise of 
the hanks on the stay as the jib was run up, and 
continued to watch the^gleam of her canvas till 
she disappeared in the distance. 

The people had remained so long ^vatching the 


148 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


vessel, and talking about her after she had disajx 
peared, that the fires had burned low, and the 
darkness seemed tenfold greater to eyes dazzled 
by the recent blaze. They were groping along^ 
stumbling over bushes, timbers, and one another, 
when Bennie lighted the grand beacon. An in- 
tense glare was instantly flung over the whole 
yard, penetrating far into the recesses of the for- 
est, and which the older people instantly improved 
to gain the main road, while the others gathered 
round the blazing mass. 

The boys shouted themselves hoarse, and hugged 
each other, as the flames, fed by the blazing tar, 
and urged on by the wind, swept in one vast sheet 
through the massive, limbs of the old hemlock, and 
then, darting up the pine, exploded the powder, 
shivering the whole top of the tree, and sending 
the treenails, like skyrockets, through the air, 
blazing as they went. 


STIRRING NEWS. 


149 


CHAPTER VIII. 

STIRRING NEWS. 

T he sun was rising when the guests, including 
all who chose to come, rose from the table at 
Charlie Bell’s, and as Captain Rhines, his wife, and 
John ascended the elevation upon which the house 
was situated, they espied the Casco about half way 
between Elm Island and the cove, but the Osprey 
was nowhere to be seen. 

“ Well,” said the captain, “ I’ve been about some, 
seen vessels launched stern foremost, bow fore- 
most, and sideways, and partly loaded when they 
were launched ; but this is the first time I ever 
saw a vessel make sail on the stocks, with a man 
at the helm, a light in the binnacle, and keep right 
on for her port of destination.” 

It was near noon before the Casco came to an- 
chor in the cove, as the wind that was fair for the 
brigantine to go was ahead for her. She was also 


150 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


short-handed, and in charge of the second mate, 
the captain, mate, and three of her crew having 
come home in a coaster, and gone to sea in the 
brigantine. She was, therefore, under short sail, 
to conform to the smallness of the crew, and be- 
cause she was without ballast, though an exceed- 
ing stiff vessel, and made very little progress till 
flood tide in the forenoon. 

Lion Ben and Sally reached Elm Island about 
four in the afternoon. 

No place like home, Sally, after all,” said Ben. 

‘‘ I wouldn’t live over there if they would give 
me the whole village. I do hope now I shall be 
quiet, undisturbed, and able to attend to my own 
affairs.” 

They were met at the shore by three little boys, 
Joseph, William, and Enoch — Enoch, only two 
years of age, accompanied by Lucy Manchester, a 
cousin of Sally, who was hired for the summer. 

Well, Luoy,” said Sally, “how did you get 
along all alone last night?” 

“ 0, very well. 1 felt a little lonesome aftei’ Mr. 
Thorndike and you went off ; but then 1 thought 
to myself. How many weeks has Mrs. Rhines staid 
here alone ! 1 won’t be a fool.” 


STIRRING NEWS. 


151 


That’s the way, Lucy. Nothing like having a 
good resolution.” 

“ Did Thorndike wash the sheep while he was 
here ? ” asked Ben. 

Yes, sir ; he washed them day before yester- 
day, and turned them in the little pasture, because 
he said it was clean and dry, with no bushes to 
pull their wool off.” 

The captain and his family retired early that 
evening, having been broken of their rest the 
greater part of the night before. He was aroused 
at three o’clock by a violent knocking at the door, 
and, upon opening it, was confronted by a stranger 
on horseback, who evidently had been assailing 
the door with the butt of his whip. 

“ What do you want, friend ? ” asked the captain. 

Does Captain Benjamin Rhines live here ? ” 

“ Yes ; that’s my name.” 

Is there any other man of that name in this 
place ? ” 

“ I have a son of that name.” 

^^Do they call him Lion Ben?” 

Yes.” 

^^Did you ever sail in the employ of James 
Welch, of Boston?” 


152 


THE CHILD OF IHE ISLAND GLEN. 


Yes, more than twenty years.” 

“Enough said. Then this belongs to you,” — 
drawing a letter from his pocket, — “ and IVe rode 
night and day to bring it.” 

“ Come in,” said the captain. “ I’ll call up my 
man to take your horse.” 

“ 1 don’t believe 1 can get off without help ; I’ve 
grown to the saddle.” 

The captain aided him to dismount, and the 
stranger stretched himself upon the lounge, while 
the captain glanced at the letter. His face flushed 
as he read, and, hastily thrusting it into his pocket, 
he turned to the stranger, saying, — 

“ Friend, my wife is getting up, and will have 
some breakfast for you in a few minutes.” 

“ The greatest favor you can do me, captain, 
is to let me go to bed. It’s sleep I need most 
of all.” 

After showing him to a sleeping-room, the cap- 
tain sat down to read the letter more at leisure, 
after which he called up his son. 

“ John, here’s a letter from Mr. Welch ; came by 
express. He’s very intimate with Mr. Hammond, 
the English consul. There’s a gentleman at the 
consul’s who has just come over on a visit. Mr. 


STIRRING NEWS. 


153 


Welch, out of friendship to the consul, has shown 
him much attention, and in return this man has told 
him a great secret — that there’s a terrible scarcity 
in Great Britain ; people starving to death in Eng- 
land and Ireland ; frequent riots ; mobs parading 
the streets with flags, and the motto on them, 
‘ Bread or Blood ; ’ that the English government 
are going to open their ports for the importation 
of provisions free of duty ; that the matter is de- 
termined, and will surely be done, — is, in fact, as 
good as done, — will receive the king’s signature, 
be proclaimed and known here in the course of a 
month. The man rode night and day to bring the 
letter, though he don’t know what’s in it. Mr. 
Welch wants us to send the Casco to Boston as 
soon as possible, for the moment it’s known there’ll 
be a rush, and the first that get there will make 
the money.” 

^^What an everlasting cargo she will carry, 
father ! But she wants repairs.” 

She’ll do well enough for a summer passage, 
only calk her waterways, stop a leak there is under 
the bowsprit, and make a new pawl-bitt. Do you 
go right down and see Peterson; tell him to go 
right aboard with his tools. He, our Ben, and I 


154 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


can do the calking. Then go to Joe GriflSn’s and 
Charlie’s, and get them to go to work on the bitt. 
Breakfast will be ready by the time you get back ; 
but don’t let on to anybody what the hurry is 
about.” 

‘‘ 0, husband,” said Mrs. Rhines, “ I do not think 
you ought to drive so at your time of life.” 

My time of life ! I’m just as good for a hard 
drag as ever I was.” 

That can never be, husband. Only think how 
much you’ve been through, and of your age ! ” 

“ 1 tell you it’s so, Mary. The old mill cracks a 
little when I first get out of bed in the morning, 
but as soon as I begin to sweat, I limber right up. 
But what’s going to become of my hoeing ; that’s 
what I’m thinking on. Valentine can’t do it all, 
and there’s no such thing as hiring help round here 
for love or money.” 

Lion Ben and his family sat long at the supper 
table, Lucy telling him what work Thorndike had 
done in his absence, while he and Sally informed 
her of everything interesting in respect to the 
launching. Lion Ben retired to rest with pleasant 
anticipations of quiet enjoyment on his beloved 
island. 


STIRRING NEWS. 


155 


The next day was de-voted to sheep-shearing. 
The whole flock were in the tie-up, from whence 
he took one as hO wanted, and after shearing let 
it run. It was an occasion of great interest to the 
children whenever their father went to the tie- 
up to get a sheep ; they all seized hold of the 
creature, grunted and tugged ; and in their own 
estimation contributed essentially to getting it 
into the barn floor, and holding it still for their 
father to shear. They were also very much ex- 
cited at an operation performed upon the lambs, 
which consisted in cutting off a portion of their 
tails, and then with the shears making a hole and 
notch in one ear of each lamb. This is for a 
mark, to distinguish property ; as each man has his 
own mark, which is entered in the town record. 
There would have been no need of Ben’s marking 
his sheep, living as he did by himself were it 
not that in the summer he occasionally put part 
of them away to pasture. 

The children cried and made a great ado when 
they saw the blood run, especially as three of the 
lambs were cossets, and had eaten of their bread 
and drank of their cup, and they begged him to 
desist. In order to quiet them, the father had 


156 


THE CHILD OP THE ISLAND GLEN. 


been obliged to make Bennie a pair of launching- 
ways, bilgeways, and wedges. This sent them 
off to the shore, where Bennie re-enacted the pro- 
cess he had witnessed at Charlie’s yard with the 
Sea-foam, one of Charlie’s old boats that he had 
fallen heir to, and you could hear him sing out, 
“ Wedge up ! knock away the dog-shore ! ” all over 
the island ; and then all four would scream and clap 
their hands, as she plunged into the water. Ben, 
however, did not gain much by his expedient, as 
every time he finished shearing a sheep he was 
obliged to go to the launching. 

It had now got to be eleven o’clock in the fore- 
noon. Sally and Lucy Manchester were washing 
at the brook beneath the yellow-birch, where a 
kettle was set in a stone arch — the first time 
they had washed at the brook that spring, being 
tempted by the beauty of the warm, sunshiny 
day. Ben, in the barn fioor, was busily employed, 
occasionally pausing to listen to a favorite tune of 
bis, that Sally was siDging, as she spread the 
clothes on the grass. The eve swallows without, 
and the barn swallows within, were keeping up a 
constant twittering; while right in the sun, before 
the doors, a whole bevy of hens were burrowing 


STIRRING NEWS. 


157 


in the earth, dusting their feathers, rolling over 
on one side and stretching out one leg, then roll- 
ing over on the opposite side and stretching out 
the other, prating the while, as hens are wont to 
do, when everything is agreeable and they are 
happy. It was a scene of rural quiet and loveli- 
ness, such as this giant of a man, utterly devoid 
of fear, of indomitable energy, terrible when 
roused, but susceptible as a woman to all gentle 
emotions, most dearly loved. 

The tune to which he was listening suddenly 
ceased, and raising his head, he saw John within 
three feet of him. 

^^Drop that sheep, Ben, and put the shears in 
the brace, over the barn door.” 

“ Why so, John? ” 

“ Because you canT stay here any longer, and 
shear sheep; you’ve got to go with me over to 
the main land, and help fit away the Casco.” 

I won’t.” 

“You must, I tell you; read that,” giving him 
the letter. 

As Ben read the letter, his countenance as- 
sumed a most rueful expression, at which John 
could not help laughing. 


158 


THE CHILD OP THE ISLAND GLEN. 


You’re a great fellow, Ben. I should think 
you would jump at the chance.” 

‘‘ I tell you I can’t. Here’s my sheep all 
washed, and part of ’em sheared ; my corn must be 
hoed, and there’s no help to be got. We’re carry- 
ing this vessel business too far, for all people 
think of is building vessels, fishing, and lumber- 
ing ; they don’t raise anything ; buy all their corn 
and flour south; by and by there’ll be a famine, 
and bread will be as high here as it is in England, 

m 

and higher too, if they drain the country.” 

‘‘What’s the use to talk? you know the ship 
must go. Father’s in the same fix, but he’s got to 
pull off his jacket and go to calking her ; and she’s 
got to have a new foremast. You own an eighth 
of her; if she gets out there among the first, she’ll 
make you more money than your whole island, 
sheep, cattle, and all are worth. Open the tie-up 
door, and let the sheep run and shear themselves 
in the bushes ; you won’t be gone long, and can 
hoe the corn after you get back.” 

“ I’ll shear the sheep, Ben,” said Sally, who had 
been reading the letter. “ I can shear a sheep as 
well as you or anybody else.” 

“ You shan’t do any such thing, Sally.” 


STIRRING NEWS. 


159 


Yes, I will. I used to shear sheep when we 
were so poor, and before the boys got large enough ; 
and there’s nobody to look at me on this island. 
Finish that one you are at work on, and mark the 
lambs ; by that time I’ll have dinner ready, and 
you can be off.” 

“ Sally, you can never shear them all. Why, 
there’s forty to shear now.” 

“ Yes, I can. You thought I couldn’t make the 
sails for the ‘ Hard-scrabble,’ but 1 did.” 

“ We’ll help marm,” said Bennie. “ We’ll bring 
the sheep out, and hold ’em for her.” 

“ Hold ’em ! ” said J ohn. “ If a sheep should flop 
her tail, she’d knock you over.” 

Mr. Welch had said in his letter that he had 
plenty of corn and flour in store, but if they could 
procure any beans, peas, beef, butter, and pork, 
to put them on board. 

While the ship was repairing, Fred Williams 
scoured the neighborhood, and got together suf- 
ficient provisions to put the ship in light ballast. 
But the question now was, how to obtain men 
enough to get her to Boston. Part of the crew 
who came home in her had already gone in the 
Osprey^ and the remainder, who were, most of 


160 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


them, married men, had farms, and wanted to take 
care of their crops. They could not be prevailed 
on to go, and in relation to the younger portion, 
they said they were at home only two days before 
they went off to Portland, and wanted more time 
at home ; but all expressed a readiness to join the 
ship in Boston when she was loaded. 

Peterson had a vessel to calk, and couldn’t go; 
Joe Griffin wouldn’t leave his farming. At length 
they persuaded Edmund Griffin, the strongest man 
in town except Lion Ben, to go, and our old acquain- 
tance, Sam Holland. Taking advantage of a fair 
wind, these, with Lion Ben, John, Captain Rhines, 
Captain Murch, and Charlie Bell, put three topsails, 
spanker, and jib on her, run her into Light-house 
Channel, Boston harbor, and came to anchor. It 
was a small crew, as far as numbers went ; but, 
with the exception of Charlie Bell and Captain 
Murch, the other five might safely be counted as 
eleven men, as far as strength was concerned, 
although they could not pull so many ropes at 
once. 

They went ashore on one of the islands, and 
hired some fishermen, who were digging bait, to 
help work the ship up to town, for there were no 
steam-tugs then. 


STIRRING NEWS. 


161 


Leaving Captain Murch to take care of and load 
his ship, they started for home the next afternoon 
in a coaster. When Lion Ben reached the island 
Sally had sheared the sheep, and, to his great 
joy, the corn and potatoes were hoed. In perfect 
amazement he walked over the ground, and going 
into the house, said, — 

“ Sally, how did you get this corn hoed ? 

How do you know but I hoed it ? ” 

ThaCs impossible.” 

1 know, father,” said Bennie. One day the 
wind was fair, and me and mother took the boat, 
and went right over to grandsir’s cove ; me steered ; 
then she went to Mr. Thaxter’s, and she coaxed 
him to let John and Henry come and hoe. I went 
with her, and they gave me a kitten.” 

“ Sally, you’re worth your weight in gold.” 

That’s just what mother used to tell me ; so I 
guess it must be true.” 

There was much talk around Pleasant Cove in 
respect to the haste in which the Casco was fitted 
away, and as many different opinions as individu- 
als. Finally, as no information could be obtained 
from the parties most interested, all settled down 
in the belief that she had obtained a very profitable 
11 


162 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


charter, provided she was ready to sail at a certain 
time. The Massachusetts, — formerly the Lan- 
guedoc, — being already in Boston, was loaded and 
despatched in a "short time after the ship. 

The Casco had been out sixteen days, when the 
news flew like wildfire along the seaboard that the 
ports of Great Britain had been opened by act of 
Parliament; and forthwith the following notice 
appeared in the papers: — 

Extract of an Act of Parliament just passed. 

“And whereas it is likewise expedient, undet 
the present circumstances, to permit, for a limited 
time, the importation of certain other provisions 
into Great Britain in British ships belonging to 
persons of any kingdom or state in amity with his 
majesty, and navigated in any manner whatever, 
without payment of any duty whatever, — be it 
therefore further enacted by the authority afore- 
said, it shall and may be lawful for any persons 
whatever to import into Great Britain, from any 
port or place whatever, in any British ship or 
vessel, or in any other ship or vessel belonging to 
persons of any kingdom or state in amity with his 
majesty, and navigated in any manner whatever, 


STIRRING NEWS. 


163 


any beans called kidney or French beans, tares, 
lentils, calivances, and all other sorts of pulse ; 
also beef, pork, mutton, veal, salted or alive, bacon, 
butter, cheese, potatoes, fowl, eggs, and game, 
without the payment of any duty whatever, at all, 
times before the expiration of six weeks from the 
commencement of the next session of Parliament, 
anything in any act or acts of Parliament to the 
contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding.'^ 

Parliament met in February. It was now July, 
and the act had been in force four or five weeks 
before the news arrived here. Never was there 
such commotion along the seaboard. Vessels on 
the stocks were hurried off, and, as it would be 
almost a year before the time would expire, keels 
were laid, and vessels of all sizes hastily built, in 
hopes of getting a slice of this good luck. Mean* 
while, in consequence of the excessive drain, pro- 
visions at home rose to exorbitant prices. 

Everybody now perceived the reason of the 
haste in respect to the Casco and the brigantine. 
But amid all this tumult Lion Ben was quietly at 
work in his field. Captain Khines getting his hay, 
and Charlie making improvements on his farm, 


164 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


going over to Elm Island with John, or to Wolf 
Island to look after his pet foxes and bears. He 
had five on the island now, having bought a mate 
for the one he put on, and there were three cubs. 

^ Occasionally Chailie took a tramp in the woods to 
look up some timber, as they were intending to set 
up a vessel in the fall for Cameron, take time to 
build her, and make her an extra vessel; and 
when there came a rainy day, John went into the 
blacksmith’s shop to work upon fastening, as Charlie 
had made his model, and he knew' the dimensions 
of the vessel they were to build. 

After haying they had news that the Casco and 
Massachusetts had obtained the highest prices for 
their cargoes, — the brigantine, though sailing after- 
wards, arriving before the ship, — and that both 
had been chartered by the English for Antigua, to 
be convoyed by British men-of-war. 

In two months there were so many vessels 
despatched from all quarters of America and the 
British provinces that provisions were lower in 
England than in the States, anu many of the last 
shippers met with tremendous losses. 

Charlie and John, indeed, wanted to set up an- 
other vessel right off ; but Captain Bhines told 
them it was only a spurt, and would soon be f)ver. 


WALTER MEETS THE OUTLAW. 


165 


CHAPTER IX. 

WALTER MEETS THE OUTLAW. 

T he rainy season, the period for squalls and 
stormy winds, was now approaching; and, 
just as the sun was sinking below the horizon, the 
Osprey, bearing before her bows a sheet of foam, 
the water bubbling through the lee scuppers, and 
with spars and rigging strained to their utmost 
tension, passing Point Arlet, entered the bay of 
Port Royal, her captain carrying every inch of 
canvas to reach his anchorage before night, as the 
weather was threatening and squally. Upon en- 
tering the harbor, he found it occupied by a large 
portion of the British West India squadron. He 
was instantly boarded, and ordered to anchor be- 
tween the two seventy-fours Majestic and Bellona. 
Seated upon the quarter-deck, after the brigantine 
was secured to her moorings, the sails furled, ropes 
coiled, and all but the anchor watch below, he 


166 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


gazed upon the great hulks and frowning batteries 
of the men-of-war, directly under whose guns his 
little vessel lay, and which seemed but a boat in 
comparison. In view of his utter helplessness, he 
could not but feel somewhat anxious in respect to 
the treatment he might receive in the morning. 
He recalled instances he had known of American 
captains going to French ports and being in- 
formed that they must sell their cargo for twen- 
ty per cent, less to the governor of the island than 
they could obtain for it of the merchants in the 
place, give for the produce of the island double 
its market price, and not be allowed to leave till 
they accepted these terms. He also remembered 
that the English themselves sent sixteen American 
vessels, found at Martinique when they captured 
it the year before, to Dominica for adjudication, 
where they were acquitted, but the costs were in 
some cases half the cargo ; and he was ready to 
accuse himself of thoughtlessness in thus volunta- 
rily placing himself where there was no way of 
escape, when he might have kept the sea, and 
gone to some Danish or Spanish island. But he 
soon ascertained that his fears were imaginary. 
The English admiral, and the military governor of 


WALTER MEETS THE OUTLAW. 


167 


Martinique, General Prescott, treated him with 
the same courtesy as when he was there before, 
and manifested no disposition to break the engage- 
ment entered into at that time. The demand for 
provisions was even greater than when he left. 
American vessels preferred to go to France rather 
than to the French or English West India islands. 

Since information of the treaty between Great 
Britain and the United States, American vessels in 
the French islands had been exposed to all sorts of 
indignities, especially if they were captured when 
bound to a French island that had been captured 
by the English, in which case their cargoes were 
confiscated and the crews imprisoned. They also 
ran great risk of capture in going to the English 
islands, because there were large numbers of small 
French privateers that swarmed round the West 
Indies, always ready to pounce upon them, the 
captains of which obtained information in relation 
to vessels that were expected from the French 
residents on those islands, with whom they man- 
aged to keep up communication. 

In respect to vessels bound to France, the risk 
was less, as, even if captured by British cruisers, 
the cargoes were paid for. In the single month of 


168 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


February one hundred and forty-four American 
vessels got safely into the harbor of Bordeaux. 

Probably Walter would not have set out on a 
West India voyage had he not been confident in 
the speed of his vessel to enable him to escape the 
French privateers, though he could only judge of 
that before trial by her proportions, as seen on the 
stocks, and by the fact that he knew Charlie Bell 
had exerted himself to the utmost to construct a 
vessel that should outsail, if possible, the Arthur 
Brown ; and nobly did the Osprey justify the confi- 
dence reposed in her by her young captain ; for, 
like the strong-pinioned bird from which her name 
was derived, she had distanced everything on the 
passage. It was but twelve days from the time 
she spread her wings on the stocks at Pleasant Cove 
till she folded them in the harbor of Port Royal. 

In consequence of the circumstances and em- 
barrassments referred to, provisions were scarce 
and high ; but the price was still further increased 
by the reverses that the English had experienced. 
Although vastly inferior in naval force, the French 
had eluded the vigilance of their cruisers, and 
transported a large body of troops to Guadaloupe, 
had recovered many of the islands previously cap- 


WALTER MEETS THE OUTLAW. 


169 


tnred from them by inciting insurrection among 
the blacks and aboriginal inhabitants, compelling 
the English to confine their efibrts to self-defence. 

The whole garrison of St. Lucia, forced by the 
French to evacuate that island, had arrived at 
Martinique a few days before the Osprey. 
The English military governor not only allowed 
Walter the high price at which provisions were 
then held, but the discharging of his cargo was 
greatly facilitated. As the launches of the men-of- 
war came alongside, the hatches were opened, and 
the cargo discharged directly into them, and car- 
ried to the respective vessels of the fleet to which 
they belonged, the remainder to the store-ship ; he 
received hard money in payment. The vessel was 
nearly discharged, when Lallemont came along- 
side. 

I had no thought of meeting you, captain,’^ 
said the delighted black. I should not have rec- 
ognized the vessel ; but I saw the American flag, 
and, as I knew your people generally take sugar or 
molasses, was on the lookout for a coopering job.” 

^^You, of course, would have anything in my 
power to give ; but you know the island is in Eng- 
lish hands, and they don’t allow foreigners to carry 


170 


THE CHILD OP THE ISLAND GLEN. 


from their islands. I am to receive cash for my 
cargo, and shall either have to go to Trinidad and 
buy molasses, or go home in ballast, although I 
don’t intend to buy molasses if I can get anything 
else.” 

“ Why not? You always have.” 

Because affairs have changed altogether. Be- 
fore the war we brought lumber and live stock, 
and cargoes that were very bulky in proportion to 
their value ; built vessels very full and burden- 
some, and piled heavy deck-loads on them ; and, as 
the passage is short, a few days longer didn’t make 
much difference in the expense. Molasses and 
sugar, also, were bulky cargoes, and the vessels, 
being burdensome, could carry a large quantity ; 
but now it is altogether another matter. We want 
vessels that are built for sailing, to dodge the 
cruisers, and they can’t take back these bulky car- 
goes at a profit. They answer very well for our 
outward cargoes, as we bring provisions, arras, or 
powder, which are far more valuable in proportion 
to their bulk.” 

I understand how it is ; but I don’t believe the 
English governor means to interfere very much 
with the affairs of the island, or to destroy the 


WALTER MEETS THE OUTLAW. 171 

trade of it. He has not interfered with municipal 
affairs, and everything goes on very much as it 
did before, only the duties are collected by English 
custom-house officers. They are very lenient and 
courteous to the inhabitants, a large portion of 
whom were loyalists, and did all they could to 
assist them in gaining possession of the island, and 
will aid them in keeping it, and they must have 
trade. I think you will get permission to buy a 
cargo here and take it away. If you do, let me know, 
and I can assist you.’^ 

As Lallemont had anticipated, Walter experi- 
enced no difficulty in obtaining the license he 
desired to trade, and sent his mate to seek the 
negro and inform him of it. The next afternoon 
the latter came on board. 

Captain,” said he, “ there is a harbor on the 
north-eastern side of the island, called Cul-de-sac 
du Gallon. There is a creek makes up into the 
land, and the River Gallon empties into it. There 
is no difficulty in going into this creek with a vessel 
the size of yours, — if piloted by one thoroughly 
acquainted, — and bringing out three fourths of a 
cargo. I am well acquainted with a planter who 
lives up this river some miles, who would load you 


1Y2 THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 

at a very much less rate than you could purchase 
a cargo for here, or at St. Pierre, provided you 
will go after it.” 

Will he sell me the articles I want ? ” 

He’ll sell you anything that the island pro- 
duces, and what he has not, or has not in sufficient 
quantity, he’ll procure. But you’ll have to take 
your vessel as far as possible up the creek, then 
boat the cargo down river to it, till you put into 
her all the depth of water will allow you to take 
out, and then boat down the rest.” 

That will be pretty severe work for white men 
in this climate.” 

But you can take your time for it ; he will 
feed your men while they are at the plantation, 
give you all the vegetables you can consume while 
here, and you will get your cargo for half price ; 
yes, and less.” 

But why don’t he bring it down himself? ” 

“ He can’t. In the natural course of things, 
this produce would be brought down to the har- 
bor in lighters, and carried in drogers to St. 
Pierre, Trinity Bay, or Port Royal. But when 
the English attacked the island last year, the 
French general took part of his slaves to work on 


WALTER MEETS THE OUTLAW. 


173 


the fortifications, and those of them that were not 
killed and did not die of disease ran away to the 
mountains ; and after it was taken by the English, 
they seized the rest, — that is, all that were able 
bodied, — and put them on board their ships of war ; 
so he has only a few young boys, and old, worn-out 
men and women, that can do some work in the 
field, but are not fit to handle a lighter.” 

Has he lighters ? ” 

Yes ; plenty of them.” 

“ Will he furnish a pilot to take the vessel into 
the creek and out ? ” 

“ I’ll pilot the vessel myself, and I’ll let you have 
one of my servants to pilot the lighters up and 
down the river.” 

Walter consulted the crew, offering them 
extra pay, as it was no part of their duty to 
lighter cargo from a plantation. He found them 
ready for the work, and the next morning went 
with Lallemont to see Monsieur Chavelot, and 
bargained with him for rum, indigo, coffee, cocoa, 
annotto, logwood, and ginger ; the necessities to 
which the planters were reduced by war and the 
interruptions consequent upon it, enabling him to 
take his choice of the produce of the island at 
low prices. 


174 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


Walter now weighed anchor and entered the 
Cul-de-sac du Gallon. He found a good and quite 
spacious harbor, although obstructed at its mouth 
by shoals, sand-spits, and reefs of corals ; present- 
ing, however, no obstacles to the native pilots. 

Lallemont pressed the brigantine so far up the 
creek, that there was no way of return except by 
warping out stern foremost; the passage, though 
of sufficient depth, being so narrow as barely to 
admit the launches alongside. 

The second mate — Henry Griffin — now took 
the crew, and, with Lallemont’s negro, went up the 
river for cargo, and Walter was left with only his 
mate and the cook. 

‘‘ Captain/^ said Sewall Lancaster, “ what do 
you suppose has become of that chap you let 
run last vige, and saved from getting his neck 
stretched ? 

“ I don’t know. I asked Lallemont ; he said he 
didn’t know anything about him.” 

“ He’ll take good kere and give this port a wide 
berth. I expect he’s jined some other gang, and is 
cuttin’ throats somewhere. It never seemed just 
the thing to me to let a pirate run when you’d got 
your fingers on his throat.” 


WALTER MEETS THE OUTLAW. 


175 


we hadn’t, we never should have hung 
Leraaire.” 

In the morning, when Walter turned out, he 
found a letter, lying on the cabin floor, directed 
to him. Breaking the seal, he perceived, with 
equal interest and amazement, that it was from 
the very man who had been the subject of con- 
versation between himself and Lancaster the even- 
ing before — John Godsoe. He informed Walter 
that, having ascertained his intention of returning 
hither with a cargo of provisions, he had kept 
himself informed in respect to arrivals, and then 
went on to say that, although no one could be 
more sensible of his guilt and unworthiness to 
associate with, or even come into the presence of, 
virtuous persons than himself, yet he entreated 
him — as he would aid a penitent man, and one 
whom he knew in happier days, to make some 
slight amends for his crimes — to meet him at 
twilight on the following evening, and, if it was not 
asking too great a favor, go with him to his abode 
in the mountains. The place designated for the 
meeting was a clump of bushes on the northern 
bank of the Galion, out of the midst of which rose 
a large rock with two, peaks, and from a cleft in the 
top of one of them a wild fig tree was growing. 


176 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


It was evident to Walter that Godsoe had 
maintained the resolution, formed when leaving the 
Languedoc, to abandon his former pursuits and 
companions ; otherwise he would not have sought 
his company, or expressed sorrow for his past 
crimes. 

“ ni go,’^ he said, and, as I need forgiveness 
and hope for mercy myself, do all that in me lies 
to strengthen his good intention.” 

Going on deck, he easily distinguished the land- 
mark referred to in the letter, being quite con- 
spicuous, as it abutted on the river, and was sur- 
rounded by cultivated fields. Taking the glass, he 
could discern the fig tree, and the seam in the cliff 
into which it had thrust its roots. Neither the 
mate nor cook had seen, heard, or knew anything 
in respect to the letter. The day seemed long to 
Walter, as there was little to occupy his attention 
while the crew were absent, and he waited with im- 
patience the appointed hour. The sun was setting 
as Walter left the vessel for the place, that was 
three fourths of a mile distant ; and finding it unoc- 
cupied, he sat down upon a fragment of rock among 
the bushes. It was not long before his ear caught 
the sound of oars in a rowlock, and through the 


WALTER MEETS THE OUTLAW. 


177 


deepening twilight he discovered a boat contain- 
ing one person, who was pulling along under the 
shadow of the bank. It was Godsoe. The pirate 
wrung the extended hand of Walter convulsively, 
exclaiming, in a voice broken with emotion, — 

“ This, captain, is more than I had any right to 
ask — more than I hardly dared to expect — that 
you would go so far for a wretch like me.’^ 

I could not do less, and be a Christian, or even 
a man. It is the duty, and ought to be the desire, 
of every one to help his fellow-man ; and a towns- 
man and neighbor surely has a still stronger 
claim.'^ 

And you will go with me to my place, for I 
dare not remain longer here.^^ 

“ I came with that intention.'^ 

Then let us hasten to where we can talk in 
safety.^^ 

The moon was rising, and Godsoe pulled slowly 
and cautiously under the shadow of the bank, on 
which was a large coffee plantation. For some 
time they had heard the roar of a waterfall, and 
now came to the mouth of a large and impetuous 
stream, tributary to the Gabon. The waters being 
confined between high banks, an eddy current was 
12 


178 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


formed along the shore. Taking advantage of this 
circumstance, Godsoe pulled to the foot of the 
fall, and, hauling the boat on shore, concealed it 
amid a dense growth of bamboos, guava trees, and 
cedars, that fringed the bank. 

“ Is this water good to drink ? ” asked Walter. 

No ; absolutely poisonous. This island is a 
curious place. There are about forty rivers that 
come from the bowels of these mountains, besides 
a multitude of brooks like this, and not half of 
them are fit to drink from. In many places they 
have to drink rain water, when a river flows right 
before the door. It was so here ; for on the bank 
is an abandoned plantation ; you can see the rain- 
water cisterns there yet. I expect this island was 
made by earthquakes, for they have them now, 
once in a while, and it is all mixed up — big hills 
and little hills, mountains and gullies, flung together 
any how ; and the springs spurt from the hills and 
mountains just as though they were squat out. 
You needn’t lack drink, however,” he continued. 
A long vine was hanging between two trees just 
over their heads, and of three or four inches in 
diameter. Drawing a heavy knife from his belt, 
he severed the vine, bidding Walter put the end 


WALTER MEETS THE OUTLAW. 


179 


to his lips, which he did, and drew from it the sap 
in abundance, completely quenching his thirst. 

“ It tastes precisely like cold water,’^ said 
Walter. 

But it will quench thirst a great deal longer.’^ 

As Godsoe returned his knife to its sheath, Wal- 
ter observed that he was completely armed in 
other respects. 

I am somewhat tired, and quite warm ; let us 
rest a while in the shelter of the old mill-house,^^ 
said Godsoe ; “ it will never do for you, not being 
used to this climate, to sit in the dew and moon- 
light.’^ 

Walter was by no means unaccustomed to the 
wonderful clearness of the atmosphere and the 
brilliancy of nights in the tropics ; but he had 
hitherto spent them on the coast, or at anchor in 
some harbor. 

The machinery of this old mill had been turned 
by a wheel, driven by water brought from the 
brook above the fall, in a sluice cut in the ground, 
but now completely grown over, and almost con- 
cealed by vegetation of different kinds. The roof 
of the building was whole, but one side was en- 
tirely open to the weather, offering no obstruction to 


180 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


the view ; and Walter could not repress an cxcla* 
mation of delight, as, seated upon a stone roller, 
that had once served to grind the cane, he gazed 
upon the landscape, and the luxuriant vegetation 
revealed and silvered by moonlight of sufficient 
intensity to bring out the most minute features of 
the scene near at hand — bamboos in clumps, cocoa- 
nut palms, figs, orange, pimento, and coffee trees, 
now grown wild ; and here and there an immense 
cotton-wood, or a tropical birch, shooting up among 
the crumbling walls of the old mansion and out- 
buildings ; while numerous mocking-birds, whose 
unrivalled melody affected Walter with all the 
charm of novelty, responded to each other from 
every quarter of the forest. 

After remaining some time silent, in deference 
to his companion, who seemed completely entranced 
by a scene so new to him, Godsoe said, — 

‘‘ Now, captain, tell me something about the dear 
old spot. How did you find, and how did you leave, 
father and mother, my brothers and sisters ? How 
did you get along and manage to keep my secret, 
after they found out that Clash was master of the 
Languedoc ? 

Walter then related to him all that had trans- 


WALTER MEETS THE OUTLAW. 


181 


pired at Pleasaot Cove, and the conversation that 
had taken place between his own parents and Mr. 
Godsoe, “and also between Mr. Godsoe, Eaton, and 
Sewall Lancaster. 

“ Who, of the Pleasant Cove boys, have you now 
among your crew, that ever knew, or would have 
been likely to have recognized me, had I come on 
board your vessel ? ” 

“ I have none that ever knew you, except Sewall 
Lancaster and Henry Griffin. 1 think Lancaster 
would know you now ; you look very different 
since getting well.” 

“ I was afraid how it might be, and therefore 
came under the stern in a boat, and flung the letter 
into the cabin window.” 

“It was a great mystery to me by what means 
that letter came on board. Are there many 
abandoned plantations like this on the island?” 

“ Hundreds of them. Some of them have been 
abandoned for sixty years, and their sites could 
now be scarcely discerned. It donff take long in 
this climate for the land to go back to forest. It 
is not ten years since this place was cultivated, 
and you see how it has grown up ; all these trees 
but the birches and cotton-woods have grown since 


182 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


then. I suppose you know all about this island — 
that it was a very rich place once ; so much so, 
that they didn’t care whether they paid gold and 
silver, or bartered produce for a cargo.” 

No ; I know nothing about its history.” 

It’s pretty well run down now, though, since 
the English have taken Canada, and so many of 
the other French islands, the trade of which all 
came here. I suppose you know how they first 
got to raising cofibe.” 

No ; I do not.” 

“ The Dutch made a present of two cofiee-trees 
to the French government. They put them in the 
royal Garden of Plants at Paris. From these they 
took two sjuckers, and sent an officer by the name 
of Desclieux to Martinique to plant them. The 
vessel got short of water, and all hands were put 
on short allowance ; but Desclieux shared his water 
with the two coffee-suckers, though he was nearly 
dead when the vessel got in. The suckers were 
planted, and grew ; and from them sprung all the 
coffee since raised on the Island of Martinique. 
You have the story for what it’s worth. I got it 
from an old Frenchman, who said his father was in 
the vessel. But it is time we were away. We have 


WALTER MEETS THE OUTLAW. 


183 


a long and difficult path before us ; but I have a 
couple of sure-footed beasts tethered close by.’* 

Leaving the mill, he soon returned, leading two 
mules prepared for the road. Strapped to the 
saddle of each was one of those short cloaks worn 
by the inhabitants of the West Indies to keep off 
the night dew. 

As they gained an elevation commanding a view 
of the place they had left, Walter stopped his 
beast, and turned to take one more look at the 
tumbling water, the walls of the old plantation 
buildings, and the ocean bathed in moonlight. 

Never did I behold anything so lovely. Why 
should any one abandon a spot like this ? Surely 
happiness could be found here if an}^ where.” 

“ Happiness,” said his companion, sadly, “ comes 
from within, not from without. I was happy once 
on the rough soil of Maine, sung as I drove the 
cows to pasture, as I hoed the corn, or faced the 
north wind, and waded through the drifts to school ; 
but since then I’ve learned that a stinging com 
science can make of Paradise a hell.” 


184 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


CHAPTER X. 

THE madman’s pass. 

ESUMING their journey, they crossed the 
road leading from La Trinite to the southern 
part of the island and harbor of Port Royal, and 
made for the terrible fastnesses of the mountains 
that occupy the centre of the island, in a short 
time entering upon a tract of country so broken as 
to prevent riding abreast, entirely precluding con- 
versation. So rugged was the path, — at one time 
winding around the side of a mountain, along a 
narrow ledge where a misstep would have been 
death, or passing between lofty precipices through 
defiles so narrow that there was barely room for 
the mule to pass; again descending into ravines 
over declivities of smooth rock, where the beast, 
thrusting forward its fore feet, was compelled to 
slide on its haunches. Godsoe cautioned his com- 
panion not to attempt to guide the mule in the 


THE madman’s , PASS. 


185 


least, but rather trust to the instinct of the animal, 
that would, if left alone, carry him safely through. 

So far from becoming less rugged, the path, as 
they proceeded, assumed a wilder and more terrific 
character. The mountains, conical in shape, in- 
creased in altitude, while the valleys became mere 
ravines, and the streams torrents ; for rains had 
begun to fall, and the roar of waters mingled with 
the thunder of rocks plunging from mountain sum- 
mits to the depths below. 

Through all these obstacles Godsoe held on his 
way without the hesitation of a moment. After 
crossing a valley of greater width than usual, afford- 
ing relief to the riders by its level surface of elastic 
turf, their farther progress, it seemed co Walter, 
was completely barred by a wide stream that 
flowed along the roots of a mountain ridge, which 
rose to a great height, its summit broken into 
irregular peaks, clothed in a veil of mist. His 
companion, on the other hand, dashed directly into 
the stream, the bed of which proved to be hard, 
and the water shallow. For more than half an 
hour Godsoe rode in the channel of the stream, till 
he at length emerged from it at the month of a 
chasm in this rampart of rock, whose fearful gloom, 


186 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


in such sudden and startling contrast with the 
brilliancy without, was so repulsive that Walter, 
in momentary trepidation, involuntarily drew rein. 
Upon a closer inspection he perceived that what, 
in the surprise of the moment, he had mistaken for 
the mouth of a cavern, leading he knew not where, 
was in reality the entrance of a pass. 

What think you of this ? ” said Godsoe, noticing 
his trepidation. 

“ I never was among mountains,” was the reply, 
or saw one, except from the ship’s deck or the 
mast-head, till 1 was at Yauclin, and I know not 
how to express what I feel ; but it seems to me just 
as though the Almighty had taken this island up, 
broken it over his knee, and flung it down, and it 
had never got back to its first shape. I should be 
almost afraid it would shut up on me when I was 
going through.” 

Indeed, the features of the pass might well have 
suggested the illustrations used by Walter, for the 
walls of the chasm were neither perpendicular nor 
arched, as is often the case in mountain defiles, but 
receding, and the fissure wedge-shaped, as though, 
the entire mass of rock, with its superincumbent 
earth and forest, had been cleft in twain and flung 


THE madman's pass. 


187 


apart. Wherever the eye could penetrate the 
gloom, corresponding hollows and protuberances 
were perceived upon the opposite cliffs, evincing 
that they had at some period been united. The 
soil above was clothed with a dense forest of mighty 
trees ; the cabbage palm, cotton-wood, bullet tree, 
and fig flung their branches across the gorge, while 
myriads of parasitical plants connected tree with 
tree and branch witli branch: vines hanging in 
loops, and twisted around each other till they were 
as large as a man’s leg, formed, at the point where 
the cliffs were crowned with soil, and growth com- 
menced, a canopy of foliage that excluded every 
ray of light, and not even a solitary firefly, that so 
abound in the tropics, illuminated the gloom. The 
mules, that, champing the bit, had with difficulty 
been restrained, now plunged into the defile, with 
an alacrity that betokened the approaching end of 
their journey. 

“ Shut your eyes for a few moments,’^ said God- 
soe. 

Walter did so, and found, upon opening them 
again, that in those places where the canopy of fo- 
liage was thinnest, he could catch some glimpses 
of the path, that was barely wide enough for two 
mules to pass abreast. 


188 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


Hold up your legs,” cried Godsoe. The warn- 
ing was needed, for the mule path wound round 
great boulders, where the legs of the rider were 
liable to be crushed between either the boulders or 
the sides of the pass, or torn by the jagged roots 
of trees that had fallen from above, over whose 
trunks the mules clambered, much to the surprise 
of Walter, who, his eyes having become accus- 
tomed to the darkness, could now perceive the na- 
ture of the obstacles that obstructed the way. • 
Eeared among cattle, accustomed from boyhood 
to horses, he had enjoyed abundant opportunities 
to become acquainted with the intelligence of that 
animal ; but, mounted for the first time upon the 
back of a mule, he was astonished at the resolute 
endurance and wonderful sagacity manifested by 
this most useful though oftentimes vicious and 
stubborn beast. The feeling of awe and gloom in- 
spired by the darkness, manifold obstacles, and the 
consciousness that rocks or trees, loosened or un- 
dermined by the recent rains, might at any instant 
descend, was still farther increased by a hoarse 
and hollow moaning, that seemed to issue from the 
ground, and come up beneath the very feet of the 
beasts, requiring very little aid from imagination 
to convert it into something not of earth. 


THE madman’s pass. 


189 


This is a fearful place,” said Walter. 

“ It is, truly, in the night,” said Godsoe, coming 
to a halt. Your idea of its closing up on one 
never occurred to me ; but twice have I come to its 
mouth, yet afraid to enter, lest the Almighty should 
commission some rock, tree, or the solid cliffs them- 
selves, to fall on my head, and bring me, my hands 
dripping with innocent blood, to his judgment-seat. 
All night long have I paced the ground, or, wrap- 
ping myself in my cloak, lay down upon the bank of 
the brook, tortured by remorse, till the day broke.” 

But you were no farther from God outside the 
pass than within it. He could just as well have 
put his finger on you beside the brook as here, or 
have caused it to overflow you. Beyond his 
reach you can never be, or where he is not.” 

“ Ah, captain, am I ignorant of that ? Have I not 
been taught it at my mother’s knee? But it don’t 
come home and find a man in the sunshine, as here 
in company, or when excited, as when alone in 
midnight darkness, or when the stars are looking 
down upon you, like the eyes of God, reading your 
very soul. 1 tell you there would not be such 
wretches as 1 am, and as Clash was, were we not 
able to shove out of sight the idea of God, and all 
sense of his presence.” 


190 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


You need not say as Pete Clash was. It was 
only his body 1 killed.” 

Captain, Pve walked the deck of that Langue- 
doc in the middle watch, after a day of butchery, 
and when my soul has been in heaps ; sins of boy- 
hood, little sins, great mountainous sins, all flung 
one upon another, like the hills and mountains 
weVe come through. Then I’ve looked up and 
seen the moon travelling along so calm, unfeeling, 
and pure, and said to myself, ‘You never sinned, 
you never disobeyed, never went one hair’s breadth 
from the path chalked out for you ; there’s nothing 
gnawing your vitals. Curse you, I hate you.’ Then 
I’ve shook my fist at it, and raved because I could 
not pull down and trample it under my feet. You 
never had any such feelings.” 

“ I hope not. I love the moon, stars, trees, and 
all the things that God lias made, because 1 love 
the Being that made ’em. I want to have the eyes 
of God looking into .my soul, I want him to hold me 
in the palm of his hand, — and I believe he does. 
God bless the full moon, for it was the moon that 
first tauglit me to know and love its Maker. — 
Is there any name to this pass?” asked Wal- 
ter, for his pure nature revolted at the wild and 




THE madman’s pass. 


191 


self accusing words wrung from Godsoe by the 
workings of remorse, and he wished to change the 
character of the conversation. 

“They call it the Madman’s Pass.” 

“ Did some one go mad in it ? ” 

“ Not exactly that ; but the tradition is, that, 
many years ago, a planter, named Tricolet, with 
several others, was hunting wild hogs in a ravine 
between the two mountains that form the sides of 
this pass, when the ground opened beneath his 
feet. He caught by a vine that hung from a tree, 
and clasping it with hands and feet, hung over the 
abyss. When the shock of the earthquake had 
passed, and his companions had recovered from 
their terror, they heard his screams, and, venturing 
to the edge of the cleft on their hands and knees, 
caught hold of the vine, and hauled him to the top 
of the bank. He was stupid at first, but raving 
mad in a week, making it necessary to confine him ; 
and in three months he died.” 

“ What is that mournful sound, that seems to 
come from the ground ? ” 

“ It does come from the ground. It’s water 
forcing its way among rocks and roots. It is said 
that the stream we crossed was large and deep in 


192 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


ancient times ; 'but the earthquake that broke the 
back of the island let all its water through this 
pass. In the course of time rains, hurricanes, and 
slighter shocks of earthquakes brought down earth, 
trees, and rocks from the mountains, that filled the 
bottom of the chasm, dammed the water, and turned 
a portion of it back to its natural channel, while 
the rest found its way through between the rocks; 
and that is the cause of the noise you hear, and 
likewise of the shallowness of the original stream.” 

The path began now to descend and widen ; the 
foliage, less dense, to admit some rays of light. 
Suddenly they came upon the trunk of a tree that 
lay across the road, and, looking up, Walter beheld, 
with a feeling of relief, the cloudless sky, studded 
with stars, the tree in its descent having torn away 
the network above them. 

Leaving the pass as suddenly as they had en- 
tered it, Walter looked down upon a broad and 
fertile vale, hemmed in by mountain ranges, while 
a torrent, flashing in the moonlight, and so near the 
path as to fling spray on the neck of the mule, 
poured its waters down the declivity. 

That,” said Godsoe, ‘‘ is the stream we heard 
moaning beneath our feet. It is lively enough 
now, however.” 


THE madman’s pass. 


193 


Because it’s glad to escape from Madman’s 
Pass,” said Walter, whose feelings were in unison 
with the wild uproar of the waters. 

The moon, that had now clambered to high 
heaven, poured down upon this enchanted valley 
a flood of light, that, defined and concentrated, as 
it were, by a dark background of mountains shag- 
gy with forests, brought out its loveliest features. 
Over its whole surface were scattered in great 
profusion trees, whose beauty was only equalled 
by their variety, in clumps or singly, as Nature 
had planted them, alternated Avith cultivated open- 
ings, and rows of coffee trees and palm trees, whose 
uniformity added by contrast both beauty and 
variety, while the torrent, that had forgotten its 
fury, and exchanged its foaming eddies for a more 
gentle flow, wound in links of silver through the 
vale, here gleaming radiant on the breast of night, 
there hidden beneath emboAvering foliage. 

“ There,” said Godsoe, as the feet of the mule 
splashed in its clear current, is water you may 
safely drink, pure as ever bubbled from the earth 
or fell from the heavens.” 

13 


194 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


CHAPTER XL 

THE OUTLAW^S HOME. 

F or some distance after leaving the bed of the 
stream the ground preserved its level, then 
began gradually to ascend in the direction of the 
mountain range that bounded the opposite side of 
the glen. Entering a grove of trees by a path so 
narrow that the branches swept in their recoil the 
flanks of the mules and the persons of their riders, 
they caught glimpses of a light that seemed to 
proceed from the centre of a slight elevation lying 
at the mountain’s base. Upon a nearer approach, 
Walter was surprised to find that he had mistaken 
a house for a hillock, so entirely was it embosomed 
in foliage and covered with twining plants. 

A negro, who had fallen asleep on his watch, 
roused by the voice of his master, came out to 
take the mules. They found a bountiful repast 
awaiting, for which their rough, long ride — for it 


THE OUTI.AW^S HOME. 


195 


was nearly daybreak — had given them keen appe- 
tite. As Godsoe was ushering his guest to bed, 
he opened the door of the adjoining room, and 
beckoned him to enter. In a sound slumber lay a 
child, apparently about six years of age. 

“ Does that face remind you of anybody? asked 
his host, holding the light in such a manner as to 
fling its rays upon the face of the sleeper. 

Yes, truly.’' 

Of whom ? " 

“ Your father.” 

So it appears to me.” 

“ He is the very image of him, bating the differ- 
ence in age.” 

It was nearly noon when Walter left his bed, 
and, finding that Godsoe had not yet risen, he 
gratified his curiosity by inspecting the building 
that he had mistaken the night before for the 
handiwork of nature, and also the grounds immedi- 
ately around it. It was of one story, with no ceil- 
ing overhead, but open to the boarding of the roof, 
like a barn. One very large room served for sit- 
ting-room dining-room, and parlor, occupying the 
centre of the house, with large lattices at each 
end in lieu of glass, and shutters to exclude rain. 


196 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


The sleeping-rooms were on each side, and the 
partitions between them and the main hall only 
breast high, with the evident design of permitting 
a free circulation of air, coolness in that climate 
being the great requisite. The kitchen was a 
separate building. There were neither carpets 
nor cushions, the lounges and chairs all having 
openwork backs and seats. Stepping from the 
door, he found the walls were laid up with 
rough stone obtained on the spot. A piazza ex- 
tended around three of its sides, the posts of 
which and the rough walls afforded a lodgment 
for the tendrils of a vast variety of running vines, 
embowering it in a dense mass of foliage ; and, 
whether planted with a view to ornament or for 
the sake of concealment, they rendered it an object 
of rare beauty. In some places it was covered 
with masses of flowers, the scarlet cordea and 
South Sea rose alternating with foliage of the most 
vivid green, for the rains had for some time before 
commenced falling. The grenadilla, passion flower, 
wild licorice, yam, vanilla bean, and many creep- 
ing plants contributed to form this network of 
verdure. 

In addition to the vegetation covering the walls, 


THE outlaw’s home. 


197 


it was — except on the back side, where a garden 
extended to a perpendicular cliff — environed with 
trees, the approach being by a narrow path through 
a forest of mango, logwood, and almond trees, with 
here and there a mahawa, displaying both red and 
yellow blossoms. 

Walter found that the glen, seen from this com- 
manding position, was by no means reft of any 
portion of its beauty when contemplated by the 
light of day. It lay in the form of an ellipse, 
bounded on two sides by ranges of mountains 
shooting up at intervals into peaks, with narrow 
valleys between, and he could easily trace the path 
of the brook by the long lines of feathery bamboos 
and other plants that fringed its banks, as it wound 
through the glen, approaching in one of its curves 
quite near the house, till at length, assuming a 
southerly direction, it disappeared through a 
break in the hills. 

Upon entering the house, he found the table 
spread for dinner, and Godsoe waiting for him. A 
negro woman, Aunt Dinah, placed before them 
coffee, oranges, and bananas, and they began to 
eat and converse. 

Do you carry on a plantation?” asked Walter; 
“ make sugar and molasses ? ” 


198 


THE CHILD OP THE ISLAND GLEN. 


it would not be possible to get a large 
crop of sugar or molasses to market. 1 keep a 
few negroes, and raise some little coffee and ginger. 
The land is capable, however, of producing enor- 
mous crops.’’ 

‘‘ I don’t see how anything can be got to 
market.” 

A mule will carry two hundred weight on its 
back through the Madman’s Pass ; we fasten them 
together, putting a horse ahead. A]1 I expect or 
care to do is to hold my own. The most profit is 
made on cattle and hogs, for which there is always 
a ready sale ; and the labor of taking care of them 
is lighter, and there is an abundance of pasture in 
the glen and mountains. I kill my own pork, 
beef, and mutton ; raise plantain enough to feed 
and fatten the hogs, also plantain, yams, and po- 
tatoes for the negroes. All I have to buy is a few 
red herrings and salt fish for them to eat with 
their vegetables, a few shoes, and some coarse 
cloth.” 

^•I suppose the cattle can be driven through 
the pass.” 

‘‘Yes; and when there’s a scarcity of herrings 
or codfish, I jerk beef for the servants.” 


THE outlaw’s home. 


199 


There must be an outlet to some other road, 
or, at any rate, to the coast ; the brook finds its 
way, of course, to the sea, or some river.” 

“True; but for the greater part of the way 
it flows through an impassable bog; yet after 
the rains come, we can carry in a launch light 
loads for a short time to a road that runs to Port 
Royal, where the stream is obstructed by rocks, 
and no longer navigable.” 

“ What becomes of affairs when you are away ? 
Have you an overseer ? ” 

“Yes, a Guinea negro; but I have taught him 
to read, write, and cipher ; and he is an excellent 
mechanic — can make and mend when it is 
necessary.” 

“ Is he a slave ? ” 

“ He was, but I gave him his freedom, and hire 
him.” 

The servant now brought in sweet potatoes, 
yams, rice, and, with an air of proud satisfaction, a 
barbecued pig, with a banana in its mouth. 

That favorite West Indian dish is prepared as 
follows: the pig is first stuffed and highly sea- 
soned with peppers, different spices, and herbs; 
then a hole is dug in the ground and filled with 


200 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


hot rocks; on these is placed a frame of wicker- 
work, called a barbecue, and the pig, wrapped in 
plantain leaves, placed on it, and the hole filled 
with earth. It is thus cooked by hot vapor, and 
every particle of the juice retained in the meat. 
Walter pronounced it the best mess he ever 
tasted. 

While they were eating, the child Walter had 
seen asleep the night before came bounding into 
the room, and flung his arms around his father’s 
neck, hugging and kissing him in a perfect aban- 
don of delight. Walter could not but remark the 
expression of sadness strangely blended with affec- 
tion that sat upon the features of Godsoe as he re- 
turned the caresses of the boy. 

Father, Willie didn’t think you’d got up. Come 
see my things — my cocoanut, father, and Nan’s 
little kids. I’ve been seeing ’em.” 

“ By and by, my little boy ; but go and shake 
hands with Captain Griffin.” 

The boy looked steadfastly at Walter for a few 
moments, and then, instead of grasping the hand 
extended by him, ran into his arms. Walter, one 
of a large family of children, and well versed in 
their ways, took the boy upon his knee. 


THE OUTLAW^S HOME. 


201 


Y oil are white/’ said • the little chatterer, “ and 
just like me and father. Have you any little boys 
where you live ? Have they got red cheeks like 
you ? ” 

He never saw a white man before/’ said God- 
soe, “ other than myself. Strange that he should 
feel so much at home with you.” 

“ So you have a garden — have you ? ” 

^^Yes; a real nice garden. Nato made it for 
me ; but I told him, and I helped.” 

Who’s Nato ? ” 

He’s Nato, our Nato. Nato’s real strong ; he 
can lift the big hoe what Nicholas uses, and he can 
climb trees ; he gets cocoa-nuts, he’ll get you some. 
Johnnie can’t; he ain’t big enough.” 

Who is Johnnie ? ” 

“ He’s Johnnie. Don’t you know Aunt Dinah’s 
Johnnie? ” 

What does Johnnie do?” 

Do? He don’t do nothing. He plays long o’ 
me. Nato scours knives, feeds the cows and 
turtles, brings wood, and helps Aunt Dinah. Will 
you go see my things?” 

“ Yes, some time.’” 

The little fellow now ran out, crying, “ Willie 


202 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN 


loves you/^ but returned in a few moments, bring- 
ing three grenadillas (a fruit somewhat resembling 
a cucumber ; juicy, slightly acid, and full of seeds), 
and laid them beside Walter’s plate. Godsoe, tak- 
ing one, cut off the end, put sugar in it, and, after 
stirring up the pulp with a spoon, handed it to his 
guest. 

I perceive,” said he, after tasting it, “ the little 
boy knows what is good.” 

All at once the room became dark, then suddenly 
illuminated by a flash, succeeded by a peal of thun- 
der. This was followed by drops falling heavily 
on the roof ; and then the rain came down in tor- 
rents, resembling the pouring of water from buck- 
ets, rather than ordinary rain. 

Willie, perceiving that there was no possibility 
of exhibiting his treasures while the rain lasted, 
stretched himself upon a lounge, and began to 
gape. His father placed a pillow under his head, 
and in a few moments he was sound asleep. 

This is the kind of weather we have here,” said 
Godsoe. ^‘Just before you arrived it rained a 
fortnight. Now we shall have showers, with fine 
weather, till August ; then will come torrents of 
rain, squalls, thunder and lightning, and perhaps 


THE outlaw’s home. 


203 


hurricanes, till November. Look, captain,’^ said 
Godsoe, pointing to the child, who, undisturbed by 
the peals of thunder, or the dash of rain on the roof, 
lay buried in slumber, still grasping in his hand a 
joint of sugar-cane, having fallen asleep while 
sucking it. “ How sweetly he sleeps ! Seldom do I 
ride or walk to any considerable distance but I see 
some wholesome vine clasping the tree whose very 
touch is poison, displaying from those deadly 
branches its clusters of rich fruits. Even thus it 
seems to me when, as just now, he puts his little 
arms around my neck, and presses his lips to mine. 
Like a dagger to my heart comes the thought, 
^How would he loathe and shrink in horror from the 
blood-stained wretch who begat him, did he know 
and was he capable of understanding his true 
character ! 

Without experience of the workings of remorse 
in strong and desperate natures, Walter was at 
loss for a reply, and a long and embarrassing 
silence succeeded. At length he asked, — 

How is it that you can live here, raise cattle 
and crops, buy and sell, and not be liable to 
arrest ? ’’ 

It is supposed that all on board the Languedoc 


204 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


were killed. Lemaire has been executed, and the 
French authorities are satisfied. 

But there are many people on the island who 
have known you for years, and must know that 
you are here now, or certainly will if you continue 
openly to live here and hold property, and it will 
come to the ears of the authorities.’’ 

Captain,” replied Godsoe, “ do you think, when 
you carried Henri Lemaire in irons before the gov- 
ernment, told them he was a pirate, and offered 
evidence of it, that you told them anything they 
did not know before ? ” 

Certainly I do.” 

You are very much mistaken. You made it 
public, and compelled them to take notice of it. 
If I should be often at Port Royal and St. Pierre, 
make myself conspicuous, so that people would be- 
gin to talk and say, ‘ There goes Hick Arkwright, 
Lemaire’s old lieutenant,’ thej^ might stir in the 
matter, although about a quarter part of the island, 
including this region, is forest, mountain, and glen, 
full of runaway negroes and desperate characters, 
well armed, who understand right well the neces- 
sity of making common cause ; and it wouldn’t be 
a very safe operation to take a man out of these 


THE outlaw's home. 


205 


glens. There were more than one pair of eyes on 
us the night we came through the Madman’s Pass, 
and quick ears listened to the tread of the mules * 
there were rocks and logs, a touch of the hand 
would loosen, that would crush a hundred men. 
Martinique, captain, is not Maine or Massachusetts, 
and the people here are divided into Loyalists and 
Republicans, some plotting to keep the English 
here, others to deliver the island up to Victor 
Hughes, and have something else to do than con- 
cern t^amselves about an affair that has gone by.” 


206 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


CHAPTER XII. 

WILLIE OF THE GLEN. 

T he clouds now disappeared as suddenly as 
they had gathered ; the sun broke forth, a 
rainbow spanned the heavens ; the roar of the brook 
increased to a torrent, and was heard throughout 
the house as it thundered from the precipices of 
the Madman’s Pass, bearing along gravel, rocks, 
and trees. 

“ I am compelled,” said his host, to leave you 
for the rest of the afternoon, but shall return at 
night.” 

After the departure of Godsoe, Walter, tempted 
by the coolness of the atmosphere, determined to 
walk over the glen, and soon came upon the over- 
seer, who was directing some negroes planting 
hedges of logwood to confine the cattle that fed in 
the vale. Returning to the house by a different 
path from the one he had followed at first, he came 


WILLIE OF THE GLEN. 


207 


.upon Willie, Johnnie, and Nato busily engaged in 
play, and, unobserved, sat down in the shade to 
watch them. 

The negroes were barefooted, bareheaded, and 
naked in other respects, with the exception of tow 
trousers extending to the knees. Walter thought 
he had never witnessed a more comical sight than 
was here presented. The brook, encroaching on 
the land, in process of time had cut out a little 
cove, narrow and quite deep, but the water shal- 
low. On one side of it was a clump of bamboos, 
fifty feet in height, forming a most delightful 
grove ; on the other towered a ceiba tree, that Wal- 
ter, though accustomed from boyhood to the sight 
of large trees, gazed upon with admiring interest. 

It was, as he afterwards ascertained from God- 
soe, forty feet in circumference at the spur roots. 
These roots extended so far from the tree, and to 
such a height on the trunk, as to resemble but- 
tresses. It was fifty-six feet to the limbs that 
spread out in a horizontal direction to a great ex- 
tent; but the most singular thing in connection 
with this tree, and that appeared most wonderful 
to Walter, was the great abundance of parasitical 
plants that were feeding upon and nourished by 


208 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


it. Hundreds of wild pines grew on the largest 
limbs. 

Probably all our readers are familiar with the 
pine-apple, and the tuft of pointed leaves that 
crown its extremity. Now, imagine to yourself a 
tree whose limbs extend almost at right angles 
with the trunk more than fifty feet, and growing 
upon them tufts of foliage similar to that upon the 
pine-apple, and from thence named wild pines ; 
their roots twined around the bark of the tree. The 
leaves are three and a half feet long and three 
inches wide at the base, stiff, pointed, and edged 
with thorns ; they are also concave, so that all the 
dew or rain that falls upon them is conducted to 
the base of the plant, where is a cavity that will 
hold two quarts of water before it will run over. 
The leaves that bulge at the bottom, to form this 
cell, contract above it, thus shading the contents 
and keeping the water cool. It bears a red 
flower. 

Perhaps some boys have, after a shower or heavy 
dew, looked into the hollow between the leaves of 
a stalk of corn, and seen the water standing there. 
It is so in the folds of the pine. Thus has Provi- 
dence, in these burning climates, placed wells on 


WILLIE OF THE GLEN. 


209 


trees for the birds, tree-frogs, and thirsty travel- 
lers. In addition to this, there were vines that 
had also taken root on the branches, twining from 
limb to limb ; some of them, running down the 
trunk of the tree, had root in the ground ; others 
were on the way. 

Perhaps you may ask, ^ How did these vines and 
wild pines get to the branches of the tree ? ^ Well, 
that is the very question Walter put to Godsoe 
when they met. 

Godsoe told him that the seeds were carried by 
the wind to the trees, and took root in the moss of 
the bark, as other seeds are wont to root in the 
ground. 

Walter’s attention wss now drawn from the tree 
by a great noise among the little folks, and, looking 
into the mouth of the cove, he espied Willie seated 
in a shell that had once covered the back of a tur- 
tle. Two pieces of flat cedar were secured to the 
sides, coming together at an acute angle forward 
and aft, thus rendering the affair more buoyant 
and less liable to upset. The two little negroes, 
breast high in the water on each side, were shov- 
ing the boat and its occupant rapidly to and fro, 
while Willie was shouting, at the top of his voice, 
14 


210 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


and encouraging his sable attendants to still 
greater efforts. 

‘‘ That is the last thing I should ever have 
thought of making a craft of/’ said Walter ; it 
beats our boys’ watering-trough out and out.” 

It was not long before they hauled the boat 
on shore, and set out together for the house. 
Walter was about to follow, when he saw them 
returning, Willie leading a large monkey by a 
chain, Nato and Johnnie a goat, followed by two 
kids nearly milk white. 

It was evidently their intent, as well as Wal- 
ter could gather from their conversation, to give 
both the monkey and the kids a sail in the turtle 
shell. 

They had nearly reached the bank, when the 
monkey, in his antics, slipped the strap, to which 
the chain was attached, over his posterior, and 
made a straight wake for the ceiba tree, pursued 
by Willie and the negroes, who abandoned the 
goat to assist him. Catching a vine that hung 
nearly to the ground, the monkey was upon one 
of the lower limbs in a moment; then he began to 
chatter and make faces at his pursuers. 

The goat, on the other hand, began to feed ,* 


WILLIE OF THE GLEN. 


211 


but the moment the children approached, she also 
took to her heels, and, followed by her kids, ran 
up the mountain, where it was impossible for the 
children to follow her. 

Willie now caught a glimpse of Walter. Turning 
to him, he seized his new friend by the hand, and 
led him beneath the great tree — a favorite resort 
for the boys, who played hide and find around its 
spur roots. 

Captain GriflSn,’^ cried the little fellow, “ don’t 
you think, Peter^s runned away into the tree, and 
won’t come down. W’^hen I tell him to come right 
straight down, he makes faces at me and scolds. 
I told him if he’d come down I’d give him some 
sugar. He came most down. Now he’s gone way 
up to the top.” 

Willie now importuned Walter to go and see 
his things. 

I want to look at the boat first,” said Walter. 
Measuring it with his hands, he made it within a 
few inches of four feet in length. 

‘‘ That was a big turtle that owned that shell. 
Where do the turtles come from ? ” 

All the children knew in respect to it was, that 
when the overseer went down the brook in the 


212 THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 

launch, he sometimes brought back turtles. The 
cedar was fastened to the shell with strips of cane 
passed through holes bored in the edge of the 
shell. 

Who made it?’’ asked Walter. 

Nato’s father,” said Willie. He then took 
Walter to see his garden and his cocoa-nut, that 
was a few inches above ground. 

“ Did you plant this, Willie ? ” 

“Nato dug the hole for me, but I put it in, and 
hoed the ground over it.” 

There are three round spots in one end of a 
cocoa-nut, where the shell is soft. • One of these 
places is easily pierced. Removing the earth with 
his fingers, Walter found the sprout had made its 
way at this point. There were in the enclosure 
sour sops, two banana plants, an orange tree, and a 
mango ; but Willie was evidently more interested 
in his cocoa-nut than all the rest, because he had 
planted it. He now insisted upon showing Walter 
two green turtles, that were kept in a little yard, 
protected from the sun, and destined for the table. 

Having gratified his curiosity, Walter returned 
to the house, flung himself upon a lounge, and fell 
asleep. He was aroused by a persistent scream- 


WILLIE OF THE GLEN. 


213 


ing near the house. The noise increasing, he went 
to the lattice. After he had left them, the children 
were at a loss how to amuse themselves. They 
had anticipated a great deal of pleasure in giving 
the monkey and the kids a sail in the boat; but 
the monkey was in the top of the tree, and the 
goat and kids had betaken themselves to the moun- 
tains. In this dearth of resources they went to 
the yard, and began to ride on the backs of the 
turtles. Becoming excited with their sport, they 
opened the gate, and let out the biggest turtle, in 
order to have a more extended ride, mounting by 
turns, those not riding urging him forward by 
pricking the part not covered by shell with cactus 
thorns. Influenced both by instinct and a desire 
to escape from his tormentors, the turtle made the 
best of his way towards the brook. They hallooed 
at him, told him he was going the wrong way ; still 
he kept on; they then got before him, struck at 
him with sticks, and made fearful threats that they 
would get a sword and cut him in two : then they 
fell to coaxing him, and Willie began to cry. No 
use; the turtle kept on, unawed by threats, un- 
moved by tears. To increase their distress, they 
now saw the other one coming to join his com- 


214 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


panion. Nato and Johnnie caught hold of his 
fore legs, and tried to hold him back, while Willie 
caught up a stick and began to pound him on the 
back, the tears running down his cheeks, and all 
three screaming at the top of their voices. 

The monkey, meanwhile, seated on the topmost 
branch of the tree, had contemplated their efforts 
with the most intense interest till the moment 
Willie began to pound the turtle on the back; 
then, descending from his elevation, he also seized 
a stick, and applied it with right good will to the 
creature’s head, showing his teeth, and making his 
shrill screams heard above all the rest. 

The strength of the children was nearly ex- 
hausted, and the turtle was within ten feet of the 
water. Walter had crossed the threshold to assist 
them, when aunt Dinah, followed by Lillie and 
Luna (two girls, who worked with the field hands, 
picking and cleaning coffee, and peeling ginger 
root), rushed down the hill, screaming as though 
life was at stake. In a moment they turned both 
the animals on their backs, effectually arresting 
their progress, the monkey lifting and screaming 
just as he saw the others. It was evident, how- 
ever, that, with all his cunning and power of imita- 








* 



WILLIE OF THE GLEN. 


215 


tion, the mischievous imp was deficient in fore- 
cast ; for the moment the turtle was turned, aunt 
Dinah flung her skirt over him, and enveloping 
him in its folds that he could not bite, made him a 
prisoner. 

‘‘He fum my country, massa cap’n,’’ said aunt 
Dinah. “ Massa fetch him in de vessel.'- 

She now began soundly to rate Nato and 
Johnnie. 

“ Warrar fu you ope de gate, you young debbils ; 
let de .turtle out. S’pose dey go in de ribber ; fes 
water kill 'em ; nebber see um more. Den massa 
smash you heads, cut you backs." 

Willie, however, now came to the rescue of his 
companions, averring that he set the matter afoot, 
opened the gate with his own hands, and that Nato 
and Johnnie were not in the least to blame. 

Aunty now turned upon him. 

“ What fu you tink you fader say, Massa Willie, 
wen he cum home, see de turtles he want git fat 
fu mek de soup, on dere backs?" 

Walter settled this affair by sending Nato for a 
rope, that he made fast to the hind legs of the 
turtle, and all taking hold, they were easily drawn 
up the hill to the yard. 


216 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


Willie, relieved from his difficulty in respect to 
the turtles, and grateful for the aid of Walter, was 
more attached to him than ever; hugged, kissed, 
and brought to him a jelly cocoa nut. 

Wasn’t Peter a good monkey. Captain Griffin? 
I s’pose he wants to play in the trees, and look 
round ; but he come and helped us keep the turtle 
from going away. Don’t you think he w^as real 
good ? ” 

Yes. I don’t suppose you would like to have 
a strap round you, and be chained in the house all 
the time.” 

Willie now ran off to get Peter some sugar-cane. 
It was dark when Godsoe returned. Walter re- 
lated to him the pranks of the children. It brought 
a faint smile to his face, the first Walter had seen 
there ; indeed, though evidently highly prizing 
the company of his guest, an air of melancholy, 
amounting, at times, to anguish, pervaded his 
countenance. 


THE VIPER WITHIN. 


217 


CHAPTER XIII. 

THE VIPER WITHIN. 

S UPPER being ended, Godsoe led the way 
to the piazza. After some conversation in 
respect to the prices of sugar, indigo, molasses, 
and other products of the island, also of boards, 
staves, and fish, Godsoe remarked, — 

‘‘ Captain, you said, the other night, as we 
were on our way here, that you loved the moon 
because it was the occasion of your loving the 
Being who made it. Didn’t you always love 
him ? ” 

“ No.” 

You have never committed crimes, and could 
not have carried about in your breast a feeling of 
guilt that made you dread, hate, and wish to avoid 
him.” 

“ Yes, I did.” 

’ I 

What were you ever guilty of,- pray?” 


218 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


“ Of not loving him — of ingratitude. If any one 
did me the slightest favor, my gratitude knew no 
limits ; it kindled at once a kindly feeling in my 
heart towards them ; I knew no rest till 1 mani- 
fested it, and was ever on the watch to repay the 
obligation ; but to Him, the author of my life, my 
friends, my opportunities, my every comfort, I felt 
not one particle of gratitude ; I never 'got any 
nearer to the cause than the effect, and drank of 
the stream while I despised the fountain that gave 
it birth.’' 

Was that of much account? Could it inflict 
pain ? It seems to me like the prick of a pin to 
the tortures that rack me.” 

“ It was enough to make me feel that I was at 
variance with myself, my Maker, and a discordant 
element among the creations of his hands ; for they 
obeyed, while I disobeyed. I could neither escape 
from the presence of God nor be happy in it, and 
I had something of the feeling that you expressed 
in regard to the worlds above us, though I did not 
feel that bitterness you speak of, and wish to tram- 
ple them under my feet ; but I can see that I had 
a principle that might, with suitable encourage- 
ment, very well have travelled thus far.” 


THE VIPER WITHIN. 


219 


“ You don’t feel so now. What could the moon 
have to do with changing your opinions ? ” 

“ It was not my opinions that were changed ; it 
was my feelings. opinions were well enough 
before. I knew what I ouglit to do, but I didn’t 
want to do it.” 

Well, with your feelings, then.” 

I don’t know as you’ll understand me if I at- 
tempt to tell you ; perhaps will think it is all ima- 
gination.” 

“ Try it, captain.” 

1 will on one condition — that you will drop the 
^ captain,’ and call me Walter.” 

I will if you wish it.” 

“ When you were my prisoner on board the Lan- 
guedoc, you must often have heard John Rhines 
and myself speak of Charlie Bell, an English boy, 
who came adrift at Elm Island, and whom Lion Ben 
took pity on and brought up.” 

Yes, indeed ; it seemed to me that you were 
talking about him a good part of the time.” 

‘‘ Well, I loved him as I never loved any one 
else, for he is not only as good as he can be, but 
tries to make everybody else so. He has bought 
Pleasant Cove, and the land for a good distance 


220 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


around it ; has made a farm of it, and was living 
there when I first began to go to sea. I went up 
to bid him good by before I sailed in the Arthur 
Brown, and after supper we took a walk to the 
shore. You know the lay of the land round 
there. 

“ Know it ! every inch of it. Many a pickerel 
have I caught in the pond on the back part of the 
lot; many’s the time I’ve drank out of Cross-root 
Spring, and glad enough have I been to get under 
the lee of the Long Point, after having been out 
fishing with my father in November:^’ 

^^Then you remember where the brook comes 
into the cove.” 

It falls over a sharp ledge just above the bank, 
and there’s a yellow birch tree on the south-west 
side of the bank — or was once.” 

“ It is there still. Do you recollect a large oak 
on the other side ? ” 

Yes ; it’s forked, and used to be the great acorn 
tree for all us boys.” 

Well, we sat down that night on the edge of 
the bank, and leaned our backs against that very 
tree. It was a beautiful night, the moon shining 
on the brook and the waters of the bay just as it 


THE VTPER WITHIN. 


221 


is shining to-night on yonder stream. I felt tender^ 
because I was going to leave home and him ; could 
hardly keep the tears back ; and then he talked to 
me about giving my heart to God, so as nobody 
else ever did, or could — at least to nje.’^ 

“ How did he talk ? ” . 

He asked me if I ever thought anybody could 
make anything, or do anything, unless they had 
the idea of it first in their own mind ; say, for in- 
stance, a man was going to build a vessel, paint a 
picture, or make a machine ; must not the idea of 
the vessel, tho picture, and the machine be in him 
before he painted the one or made the other? I 
told him yes. He then asked me iff did not think 
that He who made the woods, the water, the rain- 
bow, and the sunshine, all that is delightful to 
the eye and pleasant to the ear, gave us par- 
ents, friends, and benefactors, must not be more 
lovely still, as the painter is always greater than 
his picture, the mechanic than his work ? ^ Yes,^ 
I said. Then he asked me if I loved that Being. 
I couldifit reply, for I knew I didnT, and was 
ashamed to own I didn’t. Then he asked me if 
1 ever prayed to Him ; and I had to say no. 
He said many other things, but the last was this; 


222 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


‘ Walter, there will be nights at sea, just like this, 
when the moon will glance on the long swell 
just as it does on the little ripple of that brook. 
When such a night comes, I want you, as you 
look on the moon and stars, to remember that 
as the same moon is shining on me, looking down 
on this brook, and into the cove, so the same 
heavenly Father is over us both ; that then 1 
shall look at that moon; this little brook, the trees, 
and all we’ve said to each other, will travel out 
on the ocean to meet you. Then perhaps you 
may think, I wonder if some good friend is not 
thinking of and praying for me ; ought I not to 
do something for myself.’ ” 

Did you tell him you would ? ” 

‘‘ No ; he didn’t ask me to promise.” 

But some moonlight night, after you got to 
sea, you did it.” 

Not till many a moon had risen and set, — and 
then on the land.” 

“ How came you to do it then ? ” 

I don’t know. I had thought of it, again and 
again resolved I would, but, when the moment 
came, thought I was not fit to pray. But that 
night I was ashore in France, camping out with 


THE VIPER WITHIN. 


223 


Ned Gates in an old ruin. I looked at the moon, 

and thought of home and Charlie Bell. Still the 

♦ 

old objections came up as before. I had been 
trying to leave off one thing and another I knew 
was wrong, in order to make myself more worthy 
to go to God ; but all at once the thought came to 
me like a flash of light, ‘It’s no use trying to 
wash yourself in dirty water; the longer you 
wash the worse you will look, and the viler you 
will become. Go to Christ, just as you are. He 
only can cleanse you.’ I knelt right down on the 
spot, and repeated the Lord’s Prayer ; and from 
that night I kept on till I began to love God, and 
And enjoyment in everything by which I obtained 
a glimpse of him.” 

“ That might do for you, an innocent boy, who 
had always obeyed his parents, and his conscience 
as guiltless of crime as the birds that flew over 
his head. But neither moon, stars, nor words that 
man could utter, would avail to quiet the tumult 
of a soul steeped in sin.” 

“ It was not the moon or the words that made 
me acquainted with God, but the spirit of his grace, 
which made use of both.” 

“ But if you knew Charlie Bell was right, why 
didn’t you ask before? ” 


224 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


‘‘ I suppose I wanted to find some way out 
myself, and was too proud to be under obliga- 
tions. It took me a long time, and cost a great 
many struggles, before I could realize that out of 
nothing comes nothing, and for a sinful man to try 
to make himself better without help from God, is 
only washing himself in dirty water; but when 
fruitless efforts had taught me that, and I was will- 
ing to go humbly to my Maker for forgiveness 
and cleansing through the blood of atonement, I 
found both.’’ 

“ Do you believe the blood of Christ can cleanse 
from all sins ? ” 

Yes.” 

From murder? ” 

“Yes; I suppose a man is not forgiven because 
his sin is greater or less, but because he repents, 
and seeks pardon through Christ. Sin is a princi- 
ple ; it is one thing in reality, just as the wind is 
one element ; blow from which quarter of the com- 
pass it will, it is only a variation of the wind ; so 
lying, stealing, murder, are variations of the same 
principle ; because sin is the transgression of the 
law. When you took the cheese from Parson Good- 
hue’s saddle-bags, when you stole Uncle Isaac’s 


THE VIPER WITHIN. 


225 


red chalk, and when you drew the knife to raur- 
,der, you broke the law ; for the same law that says, 
‘ Thou shalt not steal,’ says also, ^ Thou shalt not 
kill ; ’ and nothing but repentance and faith in Christ 
can save you from its penalty, or ease that agony 
which is stamped on your very face, and is driv- 
ing you mad ; but it is not the sort of absolution 
the priest here will give you for a doubloon — rub 
the sum all off the slate, and be ready for a new 
murder. No; it strikes at the very root of the 
principle, and fills the heart with love to God, and 
man made in his image.” 

‘^But is not the wretch who has done all this 
evil, caused this world of agony to others, to 
sufier anything, to pay any penalty. Is merely 
leaving off his wicked practices, getting down on 
his knees and saying over words of prayer, to 
square the yards and send him off again with clean 
papers and a flowing sheet? 1 can’t believe 
that.” 

It must be more than saying a form of words ; 
it must be real, heartfelt sorrow for the sin against 
God and man ; and if he is sincere, he will receive 
an inward experience of forgiveness from God, 
that must be' felt, but cannot be described ; and as 
15 


226 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


far as man is concerned, he must make restitution, 
if it is in his power.” 

^^That is impossible in my case. 1 cannot re- 
store the life I have taken away, nor the property, 
for the owners are either dead or unknown to me, 
except in respect to some few persons around 
home ; but it seems to me as though the man him- 
self who did the wrong ought to suffer for the 
wrong.” 

No penance that you can perform, or suffering 
that you can endure, will atone for sins against 
God, or relieve your anguish ; it must come from 
above; you are only beating yourself against the 
bars of your cage ; you must beg for mercy of 
God.” 

How do you know all this ? You speak as 
though you had not a doubt.” 

I know it from the Bible and my own ex- 
perience.” 

But you never stole or murdered, and there- 
fore have had no experience in respect to the for- 
giveness of those things.” 

‘‘ I have had experience of the forgiveness of 
my sins ; if I have stopped short of robbery and 
murder, I have cherislied the principle that, when 
it is carried out, produces those results.” 


THE VIPER WITHIN. 


227 


But the Bible mentions some sins in particu- 
lar ; it says in so many words, that no murderer 
hath eternal life abiding in him.'' 

No sinners of any kind, and no persons how- 
ever upright, have eternal life abiding in them, 
till they exercise faith in Christ ; and no murderer 
hath eternal life abiding in him, either while he is 
a murderer, or has the disposition that would lead 
him to murder^ or break God's law in any other 
way; but when he repents, receives forgiveness 
through Christ, the past is forgiven and forgot- 
ten. God looks at what he is, not at what he has 
been." 

Do you mean to say that one who has led the 
life I have can be forgiven, and have his peace of 
mind restored, as though he had not done any of 
these things ? " 

^‘That is, you mean to ask whether, if you 
should now repent and obtain forgiveness, you 
would feel just as you would had you grown up 
at home ; as John Rhines, myself, and your brother 
Edward, who have obeyed our parents, been moral 
in our lives, and injured nobody." 

“ Ah, now you've come to the point." 

No ; because that's neither Scripture nor com* 


228 


THE CHILD OP THE ISLAND GLEN. 


mon sense. I meant that as far as God, his favor 
and his forgiveness, are concerned, there’s no rak- 
ing back; but whether you will forgive yourself is 
quite another matter. Paul was forgiven, but he 
never could forgive himself, because he had per- 
secuted the church of God — was a murderer ; for 
if he didn’t actually kill with his own hands, he, by 
aiding, abetting, yes, causing, was in one sense a 
murderer. No, John; you can never be in this 
life what you would have been if you had not 
done as you have. You will carry the scars to 
your grave, but if you repent you will leave them 
there.” 

I’m glad of it. I ought to .suffer ; I want to 
suffer; I am willing. It is not what befalls me 
that I am most concerned about; but it is the 
wickedness of it, the infernal disposition, the 
hatred and ingratitude to God and to the best of 
parents, and abuse of all the privileges a boy 
could have. When I think of all that has been 
done for me by God and man, recollect that I 
became a ringleader of men that grew up like the 
brutes, and half of them knew not who their par- 
ents were, and then read in the Bible of Paul’s 
calling himself the chief of sinners, I think. What 


THE VIPER WITHIN. 


229 


did he do in comparison with me ? He killed good 
men, and sent them to heaven ; but IVe killed men 
with all their sins on their heads. 0, 1 cannot feel 
that there is forgiveness for me in this life or after 
it. This viper that stings me ain’t in the body ; it 
won’t fall off with the flesh ; wherever I go it will 
follow ; ride as fast as I will, it sits behind me on 
the horse. I know from the Bible that there are 
some who have gone so far that there’s no hope 
for them. It seems to be my case; and for this rea- 
son, which appears to me a good reason. Perhaps 
you recollect the talk there was between us while 
I lay wounded and a prisoner on board your 
vessel.” 

Perfectly.” 

“ At that time I resolved that I would reform 
my life. Don’t you think, I hadn’t been ashore 
one fortnight when I received a message asking 
me to come to Trinity Bay. I went, and found 
Juan Romero, Lemaire’s overseer, and three or 
four of my old acquaintances with him; they 
wanted me to take charge of the Greyhound, — a 
vessel that Romero is concerned in, and that was 
then lying at the Isle of Pines. I told them out- 
right, that although I should betray no man or 


230 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


men, I was done with the old business forever. 
They tried to persuade me, made me large offers in 
respect to sharing the plunder, and' when they 
found that wouldn’t do, threatened to expose and 
hunt me till they brought me to the scafibld. I 
told them they ought to know me better than to 
think to frighten me, and to go ahead with their 
information ; I had rather go to the scaffold than 
go with them.” 

That was nobly said.” 

“Well, I flattered myself that peace of con- 
science would follow reformation of life ; but so far 
from feeling better, I feel worse ; torture, instead 
of diminishing, increases. While I was robbing, 
murdering, associating with incarnate devils, and 
steeped in rum, I was subject to remorse only at 
intervals ; but now it is all the time. 1 sometimes 
fear I shall go mad. When I was on board your 
vessel I tried to drown myself, and had no fear of 
eternity. Now I fear most of all that 1 shall go 
mad, and kill myself. I do from the heart appre- 
ciate your kindness ; neither will I deny that a 
lingering hope that it was not too late, and the 
expectation of obtaining some relief by talking 
with a man I knew feared God, led me to ask this 


THE VIPER WITHIN. 


231 


meeting with you ; but it is of no use ; else why 
don’t I feel better in proportion as I do better ? ” 

“ No, John,” replied Walter, deeply affected, 
it is not so ; you have pored over this matter here 
alone so long, and while you were feeble from 
wounds, that your judgment is warped. If you 
could look back upon your past life without re- 
morse, T should consider it sure proof of utter ruin ; 
but you have pain, if not peace, and I draw di- 
rectly opposite and the most encouraging conclu- 
sions, from these results, of reformation. I have 
always felt that the providence of God placed you 
in my hands. 1 felt that the Spirit of God was at 
work on your heart when you was my prisoner. 
Very few men would have met you alone at twi- 
light, as I did, in a strange land. I might well 
have suspected it was a plan like that of Lemaire, 
an ambush to revenge past injuries ; but holding 
the opinions I did, your letter only confirmed them, 
and I resolved on the instant to go.” 

“ It is your kind heart and generous nature that 
make you believe what you so much desire. If 
it were so, would fear, torture, and despair go 
hand in hand with reformation?” 

Surely ; that is always so ; a man never knows 


232 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


how far he has gone astray till he begins to return. 
It is just like repairing an old vessel ; you think 
before you open her that she will need but 
slight repairs, a few timbers in the counter, some 
graving pieces, or perhaps new water-ways, and a 
few top timbers ; but every rotten timber taken out 
brings to view another rotten one, till you end 
with condemning her altogether.” 

It seems very much like that, I must confess; 
and that is what makes reformation appear so 
hopeless to me. I feel that the ship must be 
condemned.” 

“ You are no worse, only you have begun to look 
at yourself in a new light ; indeed, you are better, 
for the first step heavenward is to be convinced 
of ill desert. You know that you may go down 
into a vessel’s hold when the hatches are on, and 
you may imagine that ship is clean and in good 
order because you can see nothing amiss ; but let 
the main hatch be lifted a little, a few rays of light 
admitted, and you find that she is foul and every- 
thing in disorder, and it becomes more evident in 
proportion as more light is admitted. That is just 
the way with you ; so long as you were surrounded 
by ruffians, constantly excited by adventures and 


THE 7IPER WITHIN. 


233 


battles, steeped in rum, you were enabled to stifle 
the voice of conscience and all considerations in 
respect to retribution, for the greater part of the 
time the hatches were on, and the light that was 
in you was darkness. But the providence of God 
flung you into my hands, brought you to the brink 
of the grave; his Spirit touched your heart, and 
you began to reform : the more you reformed, the 
worse you seemed, because every effort increased 
the sensitiveness of conscience and those longings 
of the soul for reunion with God implanted by the 
Spirit, and which you were striving to satisfy by 
outward reformation. 

“ I feel that is true,’' replied Godsoe. 

“ Well, you have got just as far in that way as I 
did at first, and just as near to any real comfort as 
you will ever get, and the sooner you go on your 
knees and beg for mercy, the better.” 

“ But the idea of such a wretch as I am going 
to God!” 

You are not going to God out of Christ, a con- 
suming fire, but to God in Christ, reconciling the 
world to himself ; you are going in the name of 
that Saviour who came to call, not the righteous, 
but sinners to repentance, and who on the cross 


234 


THE CHILD OP THE ISLAND GLEN. 


prayed for his murderers, saying, Father, forgive 
them, for they know not what they do.” 

But the idea of such a being as I am going 
into the presence of a holy God ! ” 

“ But you have never yet been out of his pres- 
ence. When you laid your plans you laid them un- 
der his eye ; you never raised your hand to give the 
fatal blow but under his inspection, and the cries of 
your victims went up into his ears.” 

I did not realize his presence then ; now 1 do. 
Besides, actually speaking to him seems quite 
another thing from merely doing things before 
him ; it strikes a greater dread.” 

“ You never yet uttered a word he didn’t hear. 
When you shook your fist at the moon he created 
to give you light, you cursed him to his face.” 

“ But why confess to him. I can’t inform him 
of anything, for he knows every thought of my 
heart and act of my life.” 

That he knows it you can’t help ; but you can 
confess and pray to him or not, just as you please ; 
therefore your confession of sin and entreaty for 
pardon is obedience to him who has commanded con- 
fession, and will not confer grace till it is sought, 
though he causes the sun to shine and the rain to 


THE VIPER WITHIN. 


235 


fall upon those who neither ask nor thank him 
for it.^’ 

If I was fit to pray ! I am so wicked ! 

“ That is the very reason you should pray, for 
you will never be any better till you do.^^ 

“ Pm afraid, I’m so wicked.” 

“ But you were not afraid to be wicked, to kill 
your fellow-men and curse your Maker to his face : 
then, when there was everything to fear, you knew 
no fear; now, when there is nothing to fear, but 
everything to encourage, you tremble.” 

“ I don’t know ; it looks dark.” 

How did you learn to swim when you was 
a boy?” 

“ Why, by going into the water and trying to 
paddle.” , 

Then it seems you went in before you could 
swim.” 

To be sure. I went in to learn ; couldn’t learn 
without.” 

And learned by going in ? ” 

Certainly.” 

“ Well, you’ve got to go to Christ while you 
are a sinner, just as you went into the water be- 
fore you could swim. Every man who is rejoicing 
in Christ to-day went to him in his sins.” 


236 


THE CHILD OP THE ISLAND GLEN. 


What, go just as I am ? ” 

“ Yes ; and as you go you will be cleansed ; as 
were the lepers who left their leprosy on the road. 
John, will you kneel down with me while I pray 
to God?’^ 

With all my heart.^^ 

They knelt down together. Walter pleaded with 
tears for the salvation of his companion ; and when 
he concluded, Godsoe exclaimed, God, be mer- 
ciful to me a sinner.” 


THE DISCLOSURE. 


237 


CHAPTER XIV. 


THE DISCLOSURE. 


HERE is another subject lies near my heart,” 



I said Godsoe, and tortures me to a degree 
scarcely inferior to that arising from the viper 
within, which, whenever it is not swallowed up in 
the greater anguish, causes me many a bitter 
pang. I wish to consult with you in relation to 
it ; but it is getting late, and perhaps you would 
like to turn in.” 

No ; I am not in the least sleepy ; besides, I 
must return to-morrow, and this is the last oppor- 
tunity that you will have.” 

“ To-morrow ! Must you return so soon ? 1 hoped 
you would stay at least a week.” 

I would cheerfully do it, but my time is not 
my own ; it belongs to my owners.” 

But with such mates and men as you have, the 
work will go on as well as though you were 
there.” 


238 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


The work might, but there may be some ques- 
tions arise in respect to the planter ; he may not 
get the cargo along fast enough ; besides, it don’t 
look well for a captain to be absent from his ship 
in a foreign port, nor is it well.” 

“ I wished to speak about Willie, whom I love 
most tenderly, and in respect to whom I am most 
sorely tried.” 

“Is his mother living?” 

“ No ; she is in a world where T fear 1 can 
never go.” 

Taking Walter by the arm, Godsoe led him to 
the garden, that extended from the house to the 
mountains ; there, in a most lovely spot beneath 
the shadows of the cliff, embosomed in foliage, and 
surrounded by a hedge of penguin plants, was a 
grave, the stone at its head bearing the simple 
word Clara. Near at hand, and within the hedge, 
was a seat built of stone, upon which they seated 
themselves. 

“ Many an hour,” said Godsoe, “ do 1 spend here, 
reflecting upon the many happy days I have spent 
with her whose bones lie mouldering there, before 
I had stained my soul with innocent blood.” 

“ Of what country was she ? ” 


THE DISCLOSURE. 


239 


Scotland. She was an only daughter.” 

Where did you get acquainted with her?” 

“ In Nova Scotia. Her father lived at the north 
part of the island ; was concerned in the slave 
trade, and also in trading on the coast of Africa 
for palm oil, gold dust, and ivory. He had two 
children, a son and a daughter. The son I never 
saw : he was master of a vessel, and died of the 
coast fever in the Bight of Benin. Mr. Living- 
ston, my wife's father, in searching for some run- 
away negroes, stumbled upon this glen, and con- 
ceiving a great liking for the spot, bought it, and 
remained here. Having relatives in Nova Scotia, 
and wishing to obtain goods of a particular kind 
to barter on the African coast for slaves and the 
produce of the country, he came to Halifax in a 
brig that he owned, the Lennox, the same vessel 
in which his son died, bringing his daughter with 
him, to visit his relatives. Mr. Livingston took a 
great liking to me, and invited me to his house, 
where I staid till the vessel sailed again for the 
coast of Africa. He was then building the Langue- 
doc for a Guineaman. Clash and myself went 
in the Lennox; the second mate died on the 
coast, and four of the crew. If a vessel goes up 


240 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


an African river, it is sure death to more or less 
of her crew.’’ 

“ So I have always heard.” 

“ You see, there is so much decaying vegeta- 
tion ; then a cloud will come up, and it will rain 
in torrents ; then the sun come out hot enough to 
scald the very flesh from your bones. I obtained 
the second mate’s berth. In the mean time an 
attachment sprang up between me and Clara, which 
Mr. Livingston encouraging, we were married.” 

“ By a Catholic priest ? ” 

No ; we went on board an English man-of-war 
at St. Lucia to find a Protestant clergyman. I then 
became first mate, and Clash second. I was now 
very happy. I had an excellent wife, a real, sincere 
Christian, as good as my mother. I loved her with all 
my heart. Mr. Livingston was very much attached 
to me. Willie was born. I had the promise of a cap- 
tain’s berth the next voyage, and by means of ven- 
tures was accumulating property, considered my- 
self completely reformed, and began to cherish the 
expectation of going home at some future period.” 

“ And with all these encouraging prospects you 
turned pirate.” 

It was to save my life. When I arrived home, 


THE DISCLOSURE. 


241 


I found Mr. Livingston down with the yellow 
fever. He grew rapidly worse, and died in my 
arms. He had some liabilities incurred by bad 
voyages, and it was judged best to dispose of the 
Languedoc. She was sold to Lemaire, of whom 
Mr. Livingston had borrowed money. Lemaire 
run her as a Guineaman ; but she was in reality a 
pirate, taking a cargo of slaves occasionally, to 
keep up appearances.'' 

“ I thought she was an older vessel than your 
account makes her." 

Old ! She's only seven or eight years old, and 
is built of St. Domingo mahogany and cedar." 

What did you do after Mr. Livingston's 
death ? " 

He made no will, and his property fell to my 
wife. I continued to run the brig; but on my 
second voyage after Mr. Livingston's death, I was 
overhauled when only two days' sail from the 
coast, bound to Guadaloupe, by a piratical vessel 
under the guise of a slaver, that belonged to 
Lemaire. They robbed the vessel, killed all the 
crew but one man, killed the second mate, and 
then gave myself, Clash, and this man our choice 
— death, or joining them." 

16 


242 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


Why didn’t you leave them the first oppor- 
tunity ? ” 

Ah ! why didn’t 1 ? It was just the life that 
suited Clash, and his solicitations, the company in 
which I found myself, and indulgence in liquor, 
from which I had in a good measure abstained 
since my marriage, roused all my evil passions 
afresh. I took a fearful oath, and joined them. 
The vessel was then burnt.” 

“ Where did you go next ? ” 

^‘We went on a cruise, took a Spanish vessel 
bound to Spain, with a rich cargo and specie. My 
share of the plunder amounted to more than I had 
earned all my life before ; but now every dollar of 
it is a dagger. The vessel then ran for Marti- 
nique, made the island at ten o’clock in the morn- 
ing, lay off and on till night, and then ran for 
Yauclin. WTien off the Pass du Gabon, we took 
the boat and pulled for home, and related that we 
had been captured by a pirate, the vessel burnt, 
and all the rest killed. On the passage, the cap- 
tain of the vessel that captured us — a Spaniard, 
and cousin to Lemaire, who was a Spaniard, his 
real name being Ruis — told me that he had 
spoken a vessel whose captain informed him that 


THE DISCLOSURE. 


243 


the Languedoc was at Vauclin, having lost her 
captain and lieutenant in a fight with an English 
armed brig ; and that he would use his influence 
to get the master’s berth, for me, and that of lieu- 
tenant for Clash. So, three days after our arrival, 
we went over to see Lemaire.” 

“ 1 suppose you knew Lemaire.” 

Knew him? Yes; I had met him often at Mr. 
Livingston’s, and indeed had sold the Languedoc 
to him.” 

“ How did he receive you ? ” 

As smooth as oil ; offered me a captain’s berth 
directly. I declined, but proposed Clash for 
master, and myself for mate, or lieutenant, as they 
called it.” 

What made you do that ? ” 

I thought if Pete was captain, he would have 
a larger share of the guilt than I.” 

I declare, the difference is so little I cannot 
perceive it.” 

Nor I, either, now ; but I remember, at the 
time, feeling it was not quite j-o bad to be second, 
as principal.” 

I have not the least dou)^ t you were captain, 
after all.” 


244 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


You are not much out of the way there, for 
Pete was not much of a seaman; he generally 
yielded everything to me in bad weather, or in 
a trying time; but sometimes he was obstinate, 
and would have his own way. It was so the day 
we overhauled you ; it was in spite of all I could 
say, that he persisted in heaving-to to leeward, 
thus giving you the weather-gage, and the oppor- 
tunity that you improved so well.” 

“ Did your wife know anything of all this ? ” 

No ; she would have fled from me with horror. 
She, however, noticed my increasing fondness for 
liquor, and often talked with me about it. Thus 
I went and came on these expeditions; she all 
the while supposing I was engaged in the slave 
trade, the vessel occasionally bringing a cargo of 
them. But 0, what a horrible life it was I I was 
constantly deceiving the wife I really loved. This 
virtuous, noble-minded woman lay in the bosom of 
a murderer. Night and day, when I laid down 
and when I rose up, I carried in my bosom this 
fearful secret. My wife divined, I could very well 
perceive, that something was preying upon me, 
and often noticed that my cheerfulness was gone, 
and that I did not appear at all as I used to.” 


X' 


THE DISCLOSURE. 


245 


Suppose you had declined to go any more, and 
remained at home.” 

They would have suspected, and assassinated 
me ; indeed, Lemaire was always suspicious of me ; 
hired a man to do it once, but I was too quick for 
the fellow, and killed him. I had about made up 
my mind to take my wife and child and go to 
some other country, when she was taken from me. ^ 
Now here I am with the child. He is a most af- 
fectionate, obedient boy, but is growing up in 
ignorance, his only associates the negroes and 
their children, and I am greatly distressed about 
him.” 

Get into the vessel and go home with me to 
your parents, child and all.” 

“ That cannot be. When Danforth Eaton and 
Sewall Lancaster come to see me close at hand, 
and hear me talk, they would recognize me as the 
man who was lieutenant of the Languedoc, and so 
would half the crew; and this would kill my 
parents. I could not live in a community where I 
felt that I was pointed at and hated. With what 
abhorrence would the mother of Sam Elwell, and 
Mary Colcord, to whom he was engaged, the 
friends and relatives of Blaisdell and Atherton, 


246 


Ihe child of the island glen. 


look upon me? They would consider me as the 
one who led on the murderers of their children ; 
I should go about like Cain, with a brand upon my 
brow ; people would flock from all parts, and 
beset my path, and the whole community rise up, 
with one consent, to curse the murderer of his 
own townsmen and schoolmates. My absence and 
^ the uncertainty in regard to my fate is a constant 
source of anxiety to my parents, but my presence 
would be worse. 0, friend, the way of transgress- 
ors is hard, harder than the path of duty ; once 
get into the whirlpool ; and there’s no stopping. 1 
am an outcast from God and society.” 

Walter could not deny the truth of this state- 
ment, and was silent. 

It matters little what becomes of a reprobate 
like myself, in comparison with this boy ; but that 
his young life and his future prospects should be 
marred and tainted by his connection with me is 
terrible to reflect, upon. Should 1, as you wish, go 
home with you, taking him with me, the very chil- 
dren at school, in the petty quarrels that are fre- 
quently arising among themselves, would twit him 
with being the son of a pirate. I have, however, 
for some months been thinking of this method. 


THE DISCLOSURE. 


247 


It is a common thing for people here to send chil- 
dren to France for education. Planters in Cuba 
often send them to Maine and Massachusetts to 
learn the English language, and modes of doing 
business. If this boy should grow up here, even 
if he could be educated, he would be good for 
nothing ; northern people living in this climate 
lose their energy ; they are not like those brought 
up among the frost and snow. You know New 
England people are thrifty, and never object to 
making an additional dollar. By your account, 
my father is hale and hearty, mother still more so; 
they are both fond of children, and are not worried 
by their noise. Edward is also a lover of little 
ones, and of most affectionate disposition. Why 
couldn’t you take Willie home with you, and to 
them, tell them he is a child of. a friend of yours 
in Martinique, and his name is Willie Arkwright; 
that his mother, who was the daughter of a Scotch 
planter, is dead ; that the opportunities for school- 
ing there are poor ; ask them to send him to 
school, board him, treat him as they would a child 
of their own, and set their own price, and his 
father will pay the bills? In that case the boy 
would grow up with his grandparents, with New 


248 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


England habits, and with the neighbors’ boys, 
enjoy the same privileges that I once enjoyed, and, 
I hope, make a better use of them. What do you 
think of it?” 

“ Can you live without him ? He is all you have 
to love — all your society.” 

It will be like tearing out my heart to part 
with him ; but I can do it, for I love him far better 
than myself. Think of it to-night, and we will 
talk further before you go in the morning. Long 
before I fell into your hands I had thought of this 
matter, and almost concluded to send him to Scot- 
land, among his mother’s relatives.” 


THE DECISION. 


249 


CHAPTER XY. 


THE DECISION. 


OHN/^ said Walter, when they met the next 



fj morning, I have not slept much during the 
night for thinking of your affairs, and my opinion 
is, that there would be no difficulty in arranging 
with your parents to take the child by his present 
name ; or, if they were not willing, some of the 
neighbors, I think our folks, would do it, or John 
Rhines. But I am of the firm opinion that the best 
way, and the only way, in which you will ever 
obtain the blessing of God, is the straightforward 
one. Let me take him right to your parents, and 
say, ‘ This boy is your grandson, John's child.' " 
Then you might as well let out the whole, for 
Willie is as bright as a silver dollar, and would be 
sure, after he became acquainted, to tell his grand- 
father that his father's name was Richard Ark- 
wright, and his name used to be Willie Arkwright, 


250 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


and that his father went in the Languedoc, and he 
had a toy boat named after and rigged like her.’^ 

You have got to have it come out, or give up 
the idea of sending the child to Pleasant Cove ; for 
the moment he gets there, every old wife will cry 
out, ^ That child is Godsoe all over ; ’ and when they 
learn his name, putting the two things together, 
the name and. the looks, they will know at once 
that the man by the name of Arkwright in the 
Languedoc was the father of the boy, and was 
John Godsoe ; and the probability is, that when 
the matter comes to be talked about, Danforth 
Eaton, Lancaster, Henry GriflSn, and half of the 
crew will say, ‘ Well, I declare, I allers thought 
that man looked natral ; and come to think of it, 
and look back, I believe, yes, I know, it was him.’^ 

“ I see how it is ; but if I send him home by you 
as Willie Godsoe, then my parents will inquire, 
and you must tell them the whole matter — what I 
have been and what I have done.’’ 

They will feel better to know the worst than 
to be in the state of mind they novr are, or will be 
provided you should send Willie home by the 
name of Arkwright.” 

“ Why so ? ” 


THE DECISION. 


251 


Because your father is a man of clear percep- 
tions, has been a sailor for many years, knows 
what sailors are, with what readiness they change 
their names, and the temptations they have to 
encounter, and is now half inclined to believe that 
you was on board the Languedoc with Clash, was 
killed, and flung overboard by your shipmates, or 
jumped over of your own accord, and so your 
body was not found and recognized by us.’^ 

“ How do you know that ? ” 

“ I know by what Eaton told me he said to him, 
and what John Rhines told me he said to him. 
Now, as Christian people^ they certainly would 
rather know that you wa,^ alive, than to believe 
that you had died with all your sins upon your 
head, — because while there’s life there’s hope of 
repentance, — or to be in a state of suspense and 
terrible foreboding, wcrse than reality. If you 
send him home under the name of Arkwright, 
your parents will conclude at once that you are 
still pirating.” 

“ Why will they think so ? ” 

“ When at home, I avoided your father for fear 
he would question me. He came to our house 
when I was away, and asked mother whether I had 


252 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


said anything about John being in the vessel with 
Clash ; and she wanted to know what she should 
say to him in case he came again when I was 
gone. I told her that the ship’s company of the 
Languedoc were all negroes, Portuguese, and 
Spaniards, with the exception of Pete Clash, and 
a man who called himself Kichard Arkwright, and 
that he hailed from Shields, England. He knows 
that I let that man escape on account of his aiding 
to convict Lemaire. Lancaster told him so. Now, 
the moment he looks upon this child, sees your 
features in him, hears that his name is Arkwright, 
he and your mother will put this and that together, 
and conclude that 'it is. your child, probably an 
illegitimate one ; that you have sent him home for 
them to take care of in order to get rid of him, 
having plenty of money that you have obtained 
by piracy ; that you are going on in the same 
accursed business, and perhaps have taken up 
with some French or negro woman as miserable 
as yourself.” 

“It is just as I told you before ; when a man 
once begins to sin, there’s no way of getting out; it 
is like men I’ve seen struggling in the undertow, 
flung forward by one sea towards the shore, and 


THE DECISION. 


253 


backward by the next, and so washed back and 
forth till they were drowned, and that too within 
a gunshot of the beach. I must send him to Scot- 
land, where nothing is known of my past life, and 
where no questions will be asked, to his great-uncle 
Andrew Livingston, and give up the idea of send- 
ing him to his grandparents, and giving him a New 
England training in a godly family, and putting a 
little money into the hands of my parents in their 
old age — the only way I can — as some recompense 
for having left them just as I was old enough to be 
of some use, and also of accomplishing some other 
things in the way of restitution, that lay near my 
heart.’^ 

^^No, John ; you are excited, tempest-tossed, worn 
out with slow torture. Now listen calmly to me. 
One standing on the shore is in a better com 
dition to judge than the poor man in the undertow. 
You must do as Christian did when he and Pliable 
got into the Slough of Despond, as you and 1 have 
read of a hundred times, in Pilgrim^s Progress.’^ 

I don't see what you are driving at.’^ 

You recollect, when they fell into the Slough 
both tried hard to get out; Christian struggled 
towards the little wicket gate, but Pliable towards 


254 


the child of the island glen. 


the City of Destruction, got out on that side, and 
went back to his old haunts, to wrath and ruin, 
while Christian got out on the other side, and went 
through the wicket gate to the Delectable Moun- 
tains. Now be ruled by me. I don’t pretend to 
any great wisdom, or set myself up as a teacher ; 
but I know what right and wrong are, and, I trust, 
what it is to love God. Let me take Willie to the 
vessel with me to-day, openly, and tell all hands it 
is John Godsoe’s child ; that you are living here 
as a planter ; that you were married to an excellent 
woman, but she has been dead some years; that 
this is your only child, and you want him to go to 
his grandfather and have the privilege of school- 
ing, learn to work, and take care of himself. They 
will appreciate that, will see that the boy resembles 
your folks, and all will be right as far as they 
are concerned. To begin with, let him stay two 
nights, get acquainted with the crew, and come 
back with my guide ; that will make him willing to 
go when the time comes.” 

‘‘ But—” 

Let me get through ; only answer these ques- 
tions. Have you ever prayed to God, and mad# 
confessions ? ” 


THE DECISION. 


255 


Yes; but it seemed like merely sa}ing over a 
form of words ; nothing followed ; just like talk- 
ing in the air.^^ 

That is because you have been struggling to- 
wards the wrong side, like Pliable. The time has 
now come to do something else. I t is of no use to 
confess to God, without at the same time doing 
right towards man, as far as is in your power. 
That religion that consists in praying, screeching, 
and outside forms, and don’t make a man honest, 
square, and upright, will never take the sting from 
the conscience, and isn’t worth a rotten rope-yarn. 
You may pray, fast, and do penance, if you like ; 
but He who has said, ^ Honor thy father and thy 
mother’ will neither hear, answer, nor give you 
peace, till you in the first place do your duty by 
your father and mother. Now, as soon as I am 
gone, sit down and write a letter to your father; 
tell him your whole history since you left home ; 
who your wife was, and what she was ; what you 
are doing here ; that you were Richard Arkwright 
(for he will ask me, and I shall tell him. I never 
told a lie in my life, and I shan’t begin now) ; tell 
him of your penitence, of your confession to God ; 
that you have abandoned your mode of life, and aro 


256 


THE CHILD OP THE ISLAND GLEN. 


resolving to persevere ; ask his forgiveness, and 
an interest in his and your mother’s prayers. No 
danger but they will keep the secret; and in a few 
years you may go home and see them ; for if Dan- 
forth Eaton and the others didn’t recognize you 
when on board the vessel, nor myself, only John 
Rhines, they certainly won’t then ; and, perhaps, 
as they are all young men, and Maine people are 
all the time going west, they may every one be 
gone. Do that, and if I know anything of God’s 
ways, or of his dealings with a sinful man, it won’t 
be long that you’ll be talking in the air, and feeling 
that nothing comes of it.” 

“ I feel that your words are true ; they go right 
to my conscience. I will do it, though it is a 
bitter pill.” 

“ It seems that it is harder for you to send this 
child home as Willie Godsoe, and confess to your 
parents, than it was to God.” 

“ It certainly is.” 

That shows that the confession to God was not 
sincere and real ; didn’t break down your pride of 
heart ; but when confession to God results in doing 
your duty to man, because it is his comm^ind and 
right, that is going to the root of the matter.” 


THE DECISION. 


257 


But you told me to pray to God just as I was ; 
didn’t say anything about confessing to father and 
mother.” 

Because I knew that was beginning at the right 
end, and what would come of it. Sincere praying 
will make a man leave off sinning, as sinning will 
make him leave off praying ; and I knew if you 
kept on praying you would be shown a way out 
somewhere.” 

But in respect to the child himself, suppose 
you tell everybody his name is Godsoe, and he 
says it is Arkwright, what will people make of 
that ? ” 

I think you make more of that than is neces- 
sary. The child has never heard himself called 
by any name but that of Willie, except once in a 
while. He always calls you father. If you tell 
him his name is Willie Godsoe, and he is called so 
all the time he is on board the vessel, he will for- 
get tbe other name, especially when he comes to 
be with his grandparents and Edward, and hear 
them called so.” 

I intend now to resume my real name. I will 
tell Willie so, and tell the negroes and overseer to 
17 


258 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


call me by that name ; so he will get used to it be- 
fore the vessel gets away.’’ 

“ Does this William, as you call your overseer, 
know that, while pretending to be a slave-trader, 
you were a pirate ? ” 

“ Yes; he might have betrayed me any time, if 
he had wanted to.’’ 

Are you not, or, rather, have you not been 
afraid of his doing it ? ” 

“ Afraid of his betraying me ? No more than I 
am of betraying myself. If there is a being in the 
world that loves me, it is him. Perhaps you would 
be less surprised should 1 tell you how I came 
by him.” 

“ I should really like to know the reason you 
have for reposing so much confidence in him. 
Lemaire reposed all confidence in Jean Baptiste, 
yet, to my certain knowledge, Jean was watching 
for an opportunity to cut his throat, and probably 
would, if I had not seized Lemaire, and delivered 
him up to the civil authoxities.” 

‘‘ Aunt Dinah has her breakfast on the table. 
I will tell you after we get through eating.” 


A SURPRISE ON BOARD THE OSPREY. 259 


CHAPTER XVI. 

A SURPRISE ON BOARD THE OSPREY. 

HEN they had concluded the meal, they sat 



T f down beneath the ceiba tree, and Godsoe 
said, — 

“ Lemaire, as you know, had several planta- 
tions, stocked with large gangs of negroes. On 
his home place, at Yauclin, negroes lasted a long 
time, because he oversaw everything himself, fed 
well, worked his hands moderately, took good care 
of them when sick, and watched the overseers and 
drivers closely, to be sure that they did not abuse or 
maim the negroes. This was not done from prin- 
ciple or human feeling, for he had neither, but 
policy, for when they were past labor he killed 
them off. Once in a while, when his passion got 
the better of his avarice, he shot one, just as he 
came near killing- Baptiste, because Peterson got 
away.^^ 


260 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


“ Kill his worn-out negroes just as anybody 
would knock an old horse on the head ? though 
some wouldn^t do that ; my father wouldn’t, rough- 
spoken as he is.” 

“ Yes, he killed ’em, or had ’em killed, though 
he didn’t knock ’em on the head ; but he kept an 
old negro, who was nobody knew how old, for 
head butcher.” 

I should have thought the law would have 
taken hold of him — or is there no law on this 
island ? ” 

‘‘ There is none too much ; but it was not 
known, that is, could not be proved, but all the 
negroes and everybody else believed that he em- 
ployed this old darky to kill them with negro 
poison ; they judged by the symptoms, that are 
well known to the blacks. He used to send him 
on to his other plantations, and, whenever he 
came, some old negroes were sure to drop oflp.” 

“ What is negro poison ? ” 

‘‘Well, negroes are strange creatures; for all 
they appear so stupid, they are cunning enough, 
and know how to accomplish their ends. They are 
acquainted with a great many deadly poisons, as 
deadly as arsenic or prussic acid — poisons that 


A SURPRISE ON BOARD THE OSPREY. 261 


work quick, and that work slow. I know only a 
few of them. One is the bitter cassava. They 
squeeze out the juice from the root, and let it fer- 
ment like beer. After it stands a while it sours, 
and breeds a small worm. When they want to 
kill anybody they cut this worm into little pieces, 
and conceal a piece under one of their nails, then 
persuade the person to eat or drink with them, and 
drop the piece of worm into the coffee or liquor, 
or put it into a banana or orange, and the person 
is sure to die. Another is the arsenic bean, and 
an alii gator ^s gall.” 

And so he kept that old darky for a poisoner. 
That is horrible. I should have thought he would 
have been afraid of his poisoning him.” 

That would have broken up the old darky’s 
business.” 

If negroes know so much about these things, 
I should think they would be always poisoning 
their masters and one another.” 

“ They often do ; but it is only a few of them 
that have this knowledge, and the rest are scared 
to death of them, and call them obeah men. As I 
was saying, the negroes lasted a good while at 
Vauclin ; but on the other plantations, where the 


262 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


overseers were old pirates that had been his lieu- 
tenants, and were removed from his inspection, the 
negroes were hardly used, Avore out fast, and had 
to be frequently renewed. One year he had been 
taking up a good deal of new land at the north 
end of the island : sickness broke out among the 
negroes, and they died like sheep with the mur- 
rain. Lemaire sent Pete Clash and myself in the 
Languedoc to the coast, with orders to get a cargo 
of negroes and bring them to Vauclin, in order 
that he might stock his own plantation and sell the 
rest. The greater part of them were Gold Coast 
negroes, the most savage and resolute of all the 
African tribes. One day, just before they arrived, 
when we let too many of them up on deck at once, 
they rose on us. William (Cubina they called 
him), Avho was a chief in his own country, led them 
on. We mastered them with a great deal of diffi- 
culty, after a hard fight, and killing a good many 
of them. William was wounded badly. Under 
ordinary circumstances we should have fiung him 
overboard ; but we had lost so many that we con- 
cluded to let him alone, in hopes he would get well, 
as he was a very powerful fellow, and the value 
was in him ; but when we got in, and Lemaire 


A SURPRISE ON BOARD THE OSPREY. 


263 


looked at him, he didn’t think much of him; 
thought he was so cut to pieces he would never 
make an able-bodied man, aud said we ought to 
have flung him overboard. I asked him if he 
would give him to me. He said yes.” 

I suppose you pitied him.” 

Not I. There was no feeling in me then ; but 
I thought differently from Lemaire ; thought he 
would get well, be sound, and, as he was a giant 
in strength and size, and resolute withal, would 
make a flrst-rate hand, and would be a great bar- 
gain ; and so it turned out.” 

What did you do with him ? ” 

“ It was in the rainy season ; the brook was 
high. I put him into an ox-cart, and hauled him 
to it, then put him into a boat and carried him to 
the plantation. Clara immediately conceived the 
greatest liking to that negro ; pitied him and cried 
over him like a child. The negro had been sullen 
before, and acted as though he didn’t want and 
didn’t mean to get well ; and although he couldn’t 
understand one word of French or English, he 
knew what her tears meant well enough, took my 
wife’s hand and kissed it, thanking her as plainly 
as signs and looks could show. She took the 


264 


THE CHILD OP THE ISLAND GLEN. 


whole charge, only getting a surgeon once from a 
French man-of-war. He recovered very slowly ; 
was very feeble all through the rainy season, but, 
when the dry w^eather came, began to gain very 
fast, and manifested so much attachment for my 
wife that I began to like him, and was, moreover, 
mightily pleased with my bargain, for in December 
he was worth two thousand dollars.’^ 

“ What did Lemaire say ? ’’ 

He was a good deal worked up about it. In 
order not to be behindhand of my wife, I taught 
him to read, write, and keep accounts, and soon 
found his head was a good deal better than mine. 
Through the influence of my wife, he became a 
Christian, and a real one too, and she would have 
him christened. He was greatly attached to Wil- 
lie, who was a baby, and, after he got strong 
enough, held him half the time, and wanted to be 
called William, too ; so we gratified him, and called 
one William and the other Willie. I became more 
and more attached to him, and at length gave him 
his freedom.” 

« 

Since you have told me all these things I don’t 
wonder that you put confidence in him.” 

“ I could not feel thus if he was a slave, because 


A SURPRISE ON BOARD THE OSPREY. 


265 


when you hold a man as a slave, you do him (at 
any rate in his opinion) the greatest of injuries, 
and, no matter how many other favors you do him, 
in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, show him 
a prospect of obtaining his freedom by cutting his 
master’s throat, and he’ll do it.” 

He must have been greatly moved when your 
wife died.” 

The tears come into his eyes now at the men- 
tion of her name. I hope you won’t be offended, 
but I told him what you said to me the other 
night about praying to God ; and he said that was 
just his experience.” 

“ The gospel of Christ is just one thing for all, and 
to all, high or low, black or white ; they all drink 
from the same spring to quench the same thirst. 
Hid you tell him you were engaged in piracy ? ” 

“ No ; he found it out, I suppose, through Lalle- 
mont. All the negroes have ways of communica- 
tion that white people know nothing of. But he 
kept the secret, and used to beg of me, with tears, 
to leave off ; and, when I had those seasons of re- 
morse that I have told you about, and was not 
under the influence of liquor, I would promise 
him to leave them whenever I could see a way to 


266 


THE CHILD k^F THE ISLAND GLEN. 


do it safely, and really meant to ; but, after my wife 
died, I drank more, and became worse than ever.” 

The party now set out for the vessel, William 
and Walter on mules, and Willie on an ass, that 
was his special property. The little fellow was 
delighted with the idea of going to see a vessel, 
and the white sailors, and talking with them ; for 
he spoke three languages — English, French, and 
the negro dialect, a strange mixture of French and 
African, that he had picked up from associating 
with them. His father had told him that his name 
was Willie Godsoe, .and there was less difficulty 
met with in that particular than his father or Wal- 
ter had counted on, for the following reasons : 
When in a family a child begins to put words to- 
gether, and try to talk, the father, mother, brothers 
and sisters, relatives and visitors, resolve them- 
selves into a committee to aid and give it practice. 
They are ceaselessly teaching it to repeat its name, 
and how old it is, till the constant repetition stamps 
it upon the mind. As Willie’s mother died when 
he was very young, and his father was away a 
great part of the time, leaving him to the care of 
Aunt Dinah, he had not been subjected to this 
process, and the name of Arkwright — not an easy 


A SURPRISE ON BOARD THE OSPREY. 267 


one for a child to pronounce — had never been made 
prominent, especially as visitors were rarely seen 
at the glen : he seldom heard it mentioned ; but it 
was Willie, Massa Willie, from morning till night 
with the negroes. 

Walter found the pass that had seemed so 
fearful in the night a most romantic place, being 
in a great degree stripped of its terrors by day- 
light. When they reached the vessel, Walter said 
to Lancaster, — 

Sewall, take a good look at this little fellow, 
and tell me if he favors anybody you ever saw.” 

After a moment’s scrutiny, Lancaster said, “ Why, 
yes ; he looks like the Godsoes — like old Uncle 
Godsoe cut down. Can he speak English?” 

“ Try him.” 

“How old are you, my little man?” 

“ I’m six years old.” 

“ What is your name ? ” 

Willie.” 

“ Willie what ? ” 

“ Father said my name was Willie Godsoe.” 

“ Whew ! ” exclaimed Lancaster in astonishment ; 
“ is that so ? ” 

“Yes, Sewall,” replied Walter, “that’s John 


268 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


Godsoe^s child. He’s living on a plantation in the 
mountains. I’ve just come from his house.” 

“ Then he’s turned up at last ! What sort of a 
chap is he ? ” 

A real steady man, with a plantation and 
negroes ; well olF ; was married to a first-rate wo- 
man, a Scotch woman ; but she’s dead, and he 
wants to send this boy to his grandfather, to go to 
school and learn to work, be brought up in our 
ways; and we must do all we can to make him 
contented, and take a liking to us while he is 
here, in order that he may be willing to go with 
us when the time comes.” 

It was nearly dark when they arrived on board 
the vessel ; the men had knocked ofi* work, and 
were eating under an awning on the forecastle. 
Henry Griflin, the second mate, was aloft ; when he 
came down they had supper in the cabin. Willie 
conceived a great liking for Henry Griffin right 
away, who took him forward among the crew after 
supper, and told them he was John Godsoe’s boy, 
and old Uncle Godsoe’s grandson. 

The crew were too young to remember anything 
of John personally, but they were all well ac- 
quainted with his father, knew that every time a 


A SURPRISE ON BOARD THE OSPREY. 269 


vessel arrived, he was excited with the hope of 
hearing from his son, and were familiar with the 
story of his going away with Pete Clash. Sailors, 
of all. men, delight in petting children. Willie 
found himself the centre of attraction, and thought 
he had never seen such good folks before ; indeed, 
he had never seen so many white people in all 
his life. The men were greatly excited and in- 
terested, principally on the grandfathers account, 
who was universally respected and beloved. 

“ Won’t the old gentleman kill the fatted calf,” 
said Sydney Chase, “ when he comes to see this 
boy ? ” 

The best of it is,” said Sam Dinsmore, “ he 
has been so worried for fear he was in that brig- 
antine with Clash ; and now he’ll find he ain’t 
no pirate at all, but a well-behaved, well-to-do 
planter.” 

“ I expect,” said Bill Shed, father Godsoe’ll 
make a pilgrimage out here to see him, as old 
Jacob went down to Egypt, I’d go for nothing 
in the vessel that was to bring him here.” 

So would 1,” said John Thaxter ; “ there’d be 
no trouble in manning her from Pleasant Cove.” 

Walter found William a very intelligent, Chris* 


270 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


tian man, and was extremely pleased with him. 
The black told him a good many things in relation 
to Godsoe’s wife, that made it evident she was a 
woman of strong mind and ardent piety. When 
it was time to turn in, Willie — who, after his 
mother’s death, and the almost constant absence 
of his father, had been in a great degree under 
the care of the overseer — wanted to sleep with 
William, and said his prayers to him with a readi- 
ness that showed it was his common practice. 
Two launches filled with sugar lay at the stern of 
the vessel that night ; one of them had been 
brought down by the Osprey’s crew, assisted by 
two of Lallemont’s men, he having sent two in- 
stead of one. They were both Guinea negroes, 
and could not speak a word of English, but could 
speak negro French fast enough. They had been 
some time in the country, and the greater part of 
the time engaged in loading vessels ; and one of 
them, Gondebaud, was a great singer, the other, 
Jules, not much inferior. 

The second launch was entirely manned by 
negroes, not one of whom kept on the plantation 
could speak any English. Monsieur Chavelot, not 
being able to supply all the articles wanted, had 


A SURPRISE ON BOARD THE OSPREY. 


271 


obtained them from other planters, who, being, by 
reason of the war, short of money, and knowing 
they could not receive their pay till the vessel was 
loaded, had sent down this launch, manned by their 
own negroes, with a Frenchman as pilot and cap- 
tain of it. There were eight negroes in the 
whole. When, therefore, all hands turned to, in the 
morning, to hoist the sugar and other cargo on 
board, Willie found employment enough. Perfect- 
ly at home with the negroes, and familiar with 
their language, which was precisely similar to 
that of Nato and Johnnie, he was down in the 
launches among them, talking with them, and 
munching cane and bananas that they gave him ; 
then he would go down in the hold, where the 
second mate and men were stowing sugar, and run 
to tell William and Walter what he had seen and 
heard. 

When these sources of amusement were exhaust- 
ed, he would coax William to put him into the 
boat that was made fast to the stern, and shoving 
her the length of the rope, sail back and forth ; it 
seemed as though he would never tire of this 
sport, it was so superior to sailing in 'the turtle 
shell in the brook at home ; but he wished Nato 


272 


THE CHILD OP THE ISLAND GLEN. 


and Johnnie could be with him, and that his father 
and Aunt Dinah could see him. His happiness 
culminated when William, getting into the boat 
with him, pulled it up and down the creek. Ne- 
groes are extremely fond of salt fish, salt beef, and 
herrings, and devour them with the greatest 
eagerness ; probably their food, consisting so 
largely of sweets, becomes insipid, and these 
articles supply a relish ; they are also very fond of 
American ship bread. 

It was necessary to work in the heat of the day 
in order to discharge the launches. Walter there- 
fore, afraid his men would get sick, and wishing 
to ease their labor, told the negroes in the 
launches, who had nothing to do except hook the 
can-hooks and look on, that if they would turn to 
and help hoist the sugar on board, and stow it in 
the hold, he would give them a good tuck-out on 
salt beef morning and night, from the vessel’s cop- 
pers, with hard bread, and as many biscuit as they 
could carry in the crown of the tall palm-leaf hats 
they wore. This offer was gladly accepted, and 
they took hold with a will, striking up a song the 
moment they manned the fall, in which the gener- 
osity of the buckra captain and the toothsomeness 
of beef and bread were duly extolled. 


A SURPRISE ON BOARD THE OSPREY. 


273 


As Walter, seated on the hencoop, under the 
awning, was watching the progress of the work, 
he was in no small measure astonished by hearing 
the following ditty issuing from the lips of a 
Guinea negro, tattooed from head to foot, and 
who could not speak English, and was entirely 
ignorant of the signification of the words uttered, 
while the others joined with the greatest zest in 
the chorus: — 

“Three sailors eat from out de kid, 

Ben Bolt, and Jack, and Richard Fid. 

‘ Shipmates,’ cries Jack, ‘ twig what I’ve found ; 

For don’t you see dese ribs are round? ’ 

Chorus. Ole boss, ole boss, how come you here ? 

When, strange to say, from out de bone 
A holler voice did make its moan : 

* From Saccarap to Portland pier 
Lumber I’ve hauled for many a year.* 

Chorus. Ole boss, ole boss, &c. 

‘ Till killed with work, and much abuse, 

I’m salted dowm for sailors’ use. 

The sailors den dey curse my bones, 

And turn me over to Davy Jones.’ 

Chorus. Ole boss, ole boss, &c.** 


18 


274 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


Walter asked them, through William, where 
they got the song; they said they learned the 
words from hearing the white sailors sing them, 
when lying in the launches beside the American 
vessels. 

As for Willie, he clapped his hands, screamed, 
and coaxed Gondebaud to sing it over and over 
again, till he got it by heart, and then told the 
negroes what the buckra song meant, having him- 
self been enlightened on the subject by Walter. 
When night came, and Henry Griffin was done 
work, he took Willie on his knee, and told him 
about Pleasant Cove, and his grandfather and 
grandmother, and the boys there, and what they 
did; and about Bennie Rhines, and the bonfires they 
had when they launched the Osprey ; about Char- 
lie BelPs bears, deer, and foxes ; going to school, 
beech nutting, and building camps in the woods, 
till Willie got so much excited and interested, 
that he declared he meant to ask his father to let 
him go to America, and go to school with Win- 
throp Griffin. 

When it was time to go to bed, he decided to 
sleep with Henry, under the awning on deck. In 
the morning he didn’t want to go home, and tried 


A SURPRISE ON BOARD THE OSPREY. 


275 


to coax William to stay longer, and failing in this, 
consoled himself with the determination to ask his 
father to let him go to see his grandfather. Henry 
had told how fast the vessel would sail, and what 
a nice thing it would be to see her, with all sail 
spread, going through the water like everything, 
till the little fellow could think of nothing else 
but Pleasant Cove, Bennie Rhines, Elm Island, 
and ships under sail going through the water ‘‘ like 
everything;’’ and the brook, the turtle shell, Nato 
and Johnnie, were well nigh despised in com- 
parison. 

The Osprey was now dropped down into the 
bay to deep water, and Walter made an appoint- 
ment with William to meet him at the abandoned 
plantation, where he would make a farewell visit 
to (xodsoe, and take Willie. 


276 


THE CHILD OP THE ISLAND GLEN. 


CHAPTER XYII. 


THE LOVE THAT CASTETH OUT FEAR. 

ILLIE had large stories to tell Nato and 



T f Johnnie when he returned, and about the 
awful sight of white men he had seen, and what 
great, large, tall men they were ; and about the 
song, the buckra song, that Gondebaud and Jules 
sung. They wanted him to say it to them ; so he 
said it, word for word ; then they went in a body 
to Aunt Dinah, and repeated it to her, and she 
improvised a tune for it directly, and taught them 
to sing it. They got under the ceiba tree and 
made the glen resound with Old boss,’’ while the 
monkey, unable to do more, uttered his shrillest 
screams by way of accompaniment. 

“ How many white men was there ? said 
Johnnie. 

Willie couldn’t count, so undertook to enlighten 
his sable attendants after his own fashion. He 


THE LOVE THAT CASTETH OUT FEAR. 277 


had mastered the names of every one on board ; 
he therefore got a calabash and a parcel of tama- 
rind stones. “ Look here, Nato and Johnnie, said 
he ; “ Willie’ll tell you how many there be ; that’s 
Mr. Lancaster,” flinging a tamarind stone into the 
calabash. That’s Mr. Thaxter,” flinging another, 
till he had dropped in as many stones as the ship’s 
company consisted of. Willie, however, could not 
count above ten, and there were seventeen stones 
in the calabash ; so he told them there were as 
many as his fingers and thumbs and seven more ; 
and then, for the better explanation of it, he placed 
the stones all along in a row on the ground. Nato 
thought they must be funny men to have such 
funny names. Then Willie told them about sailing 
in the boat, about the vessel, and the rope-ladders 
for the men to go up on the masts by, and how 
tall the masts were, — as tall as a cabbage palm, — 
also about the yards and sails, and that there were 
as many ropes as there were hairs on Aunt 
Dinah’s head. - He then told them that the vessel 
was hollow inside, and about the men stowing the 
cargo. Johnnie then proposed that they should 
play load the vessel. So they went to William, 
and got him to saw up a whole lot of bamboo 


278 


THE CHILD OP THE ISLAND GLEN. 


into short pieces, to represent casks of rum and 
sugar. 

The launch that was used to convey goods 
down the brook lay at the water’s edge ; boards 
were laid from the ground to her gunwale, and 
they rolled the casks into her, Willie crying out. 
Cut that hogshead ; there, that’ll do ; now roll 
him bung up.” Then he would sing out again, 
“ Put your back to that cask and shove him on 
end, and put some dunnage under him; a hogs- 
head won’t go under that beam ; put a barrel 
there.” 

Godsoe was very much pleased with the ac- 
count that Willie gave him of his visit. He asked 
Willie if he would like to go in the vessel, with 
Captain Griffin, to see his grandparents and go to 
school. Willie replied that he would, but he 
wanted his father to go with him. 

“ I cannot go with you, Willie, but 1 will come 
over afterwards.” 

I’ll tell you what makes me want to go to 
school, father.” 

“ What is the reason, Willie ? ” 

’Cause, father. Captain Griffin read me a story 
in a book, a real nice story, about Indians. I want 


THE LOVE THAT CASTETH OUT FEAR. 279 


to learn to read, so as to read pretty stories. Did 
you ever see any Indians, father?’^ 

“Yes, plenty of them.’^ 

“ Won’t they kill me ? ” 

“ No, they don’t kill folks now.” 

“ Has grandfather got a gun ? ” 

“ Yes, he used to have three.” 

“ Well, father, if an Indian should go to kill me, 
grandfather ’d fire the gun, bang, bang, and kill 
him right stone dead, so he’d never want to kill 
any more little boys.” 

“ Yes, indeed, I guess he would.” 

“ Father, Henry told me about the little boys 
there is over there — Bennie Bhines, John Bell, 
and a Williams boy. He said they would play 
with me. I should like to play with white boys 
better than Nato and Johnnie. But, father, if I 
go away, who will you have to play with? You 
ain’t got any little boy but me, and there won’t 
be nobody for you to play with.” 

The tears sprang to Godsoe’s eyes. 

“ What makes you cry, father ? ’Cause I am 
going away ? ” 

“ Only something I was thinking about, dear ; ” 
and he turned the conversation by telling Willie 
he wanted to see his garden. 


280 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


Although Godsoe had promised Walter that he 
would write to his parents, it was only after a 
severe struggle that he brought himself actually 
to set about it ; but when he once commenced, he 
made thorough work — shrunk not from a full 
confession of his guilt, without the least attempt 
at palliation, and concluded with suing for forgive- 
ness of his parents, and an interest in their prayers. 

But when he had accomplished it, he was 
conscious of feelings that he never had known 
before. Gradually and almost imperceptibly that 
gnawing sense of guilt, and shrinking from the 
presence and contemplation of God, became less 
and less pungent, and faded out as darkness melts 
into day ; that vague, indefinite feeling predom- 
inating in and connected with the act of prayer, 
and which rendered it a form of words spoken to 
the air, diminished, and was, he knew not when or 
how, succeeded by one of personal interest and 
communion ; even as on the limbs of the beech the 
old leaves are pushed olf, and replaced by the new, 
and barren branches clothed with life and verdure. 

Prayer, to the performance of which he had.been 
at first impelled by agony of conscience, desire 
of relief, the commands of Scripture, the prompt- 
ings of the Spirit, and persuasion of his friend. 


THE LOVE THAT CASTETH OUT FEAR. 281 


and had entered upon with a feeling akin to that 
with which the seaman plunges from the wreck 
settling beneath him, into the foaming surf, was 
now but the gratification of an inward, longing 
pregnant with results. 

All along the borders of the horizon, the black 
clouds of apprehension and despair were fast 
ebbing away, and their edges reddened with the 
light of approaching day. 

William, noticing the gradual change in the 
expression of Godsoe’s features, in virtue of that 
spiritual aflSnity uniting those who have drank 
at the same fountain, interpreted right well its 
meaning. Cherishing for Godsoe an affection only 
inferior to that he had felt for his departed mis- 
tress, he refrained from speaking, but with joy- 
ful anticipation besought the Lord. 

It was the tenth morning since the departure 
of Walter, and William was eating his breakfast, 
when Aunt Dinah came in. 

“ William,’^ she said, warra you tink kum ober 
our massa? ’’ 

Wha for you say dat ? ” 

Massa nebber laf dese days in de mornin; he 
hab sorry look ; dis mornin he talk to hisself, and 
he face shine like de sun on de water.” 


282 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


Den he found de glory ob de Lord.” 

‘‘ Warra dat ? ” 

“ You know how missus’ face look dat day she 
die?” 

Yes.” 

“ Dat de ting massa found ; you want find 
youself.” 

Having sent the negroes into the field with the 
driver, William was at work upon the launch, as 
the time was approaching when it could be made 
available in the transportation of coffee. Hearing 
footsteps behind him, he turned and saw Godsoe 
rapidly approaching. One glance at his face con- 
firmed the relation of Dinah ; the cloud of sadness 
that had so long hung over his features was gone ; 
they were lit up with an expression of heartfelt 
joy he had never seen there before. 

“ Massa, hab de good Lord open de door ob life 
dis mornin?” 

^‘.He has.” 

You see de glory ob de Lord?” 

“Yes; it seems to me everything looks dif- 
ferent from last night. The trees, the brook, the 
mountains, and birds, seem to be praising God, 
and my soul to praise him most of all.” 


THE LOVE THAT CASTETH OUT FEAR. 283 


Dey all does gib him de glory, massa; for de 
Bible say, dat wha he made ’em for.” 

■ “ That is what he made me for, but I have never 
done it before. I’ve been doing something very 
different.” 

There had been no change in nature ; the ma- 
terial universe moved on in perfect harmony, 
obedient to the directions of Infinite Wisdom ; 
forests and mountains, rivers and birds of the 
air, praised as ever the hand that created 
them ; but this forgiven sinner saw them with 
new eyes; perceived, both in them and in him- 
self, what he never perceived before, and could 
say, ‘ One thing I know : that whereas I was blind, 
now I see.” And his joyous emotions imparted 
even to dead matter a tongue and utterance. 
While thus a new man, in virtue of a new prin- 
ciple imparted, he beheld the name and attributes 
of his Maker graven on the clouds, imprinted on 
the leaves, and whispered in the winds of heaven. 
From the pages of his written word, no more a 
sealed book, beamed a clearer light; its threat- 
enings no longer terrified, while its promises 
ministered consolation and hope. 

“ William,” he said, “ as I came out from my 


284 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


chamber this morning, and the sun streamed over 
the mountains, it seemed to me I felt as Jacob did, 
when, after wrestling all night, the sun rose upon 
him, and he passed over Penuel.” 

In answer to his inquiries, he told the black, 
that when greatly discouraged, he read the pas- 
sages that contain the declaration of God to Sol- 
omon^ in which he is told, notwithstanding his 
sins, God will not rend the kingdom entirely from 
his son Rehoboam, but will leave him one tribe, on 
account of his covenant with David his father. 
He said he felt, if God would show such favor to a 
wicked prince on account of his grandfather, per- 
haps he would have mercy on him, whose parents 
were constantly interceding for him, and that it 
encouraged him to persevere in prayer for himself. 

This tide of joyous emotions did not continue 
at the flood ; moments of depression and bitter 
reflections in relation to the past at times inter- 
rupted its flow, as clouds that in spring time cross 
the track of the sun ; but Godsoe had thoroughly 
learned the path to the mercy-seat, and they yield- 
ed to prayer and meditation. He looked forward 
with fond anticipations to his meeting with Walter 
that was now close at hand. 


WILLIE GIVES AWAY HIS PLAYTHINGS. 285 


CHAPTER XVIII. 

WILLIE GIVES AWAY HIS PLAYTHINGS. 

HEN the time fixed by William to meet 



T T Walter at the deserted plantation was 
near at hand, Willie besought his father to let 
him accompany the overseer. Godsoe, however, 
told him that William was going in the night, in 
order to meet Captain GriflSn in the morning, and 
return in the course of the day. The little boy 
therefore resolved to watch for and meet him at 
the mouth of the pass, and, determined to mani- 
fest his sense of obligation to the captain for all 
the attention shown him on board the vessel, 
exerted himself to receive his friend in a suitable 
manner. He procured all the fruits and nuts then 
in season, — and there is no time in the year in 
that climate in which more or less of various kinds 
cannot be obtained, — and having placed them in 
a basket, got Nicholas to carry them on his head 


286 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


as far into the pass as he thought best to ven- 
ture himself. When informed by his father that 
it was nearly time for the travellers to make their 
appearance, he resorted to the spot, accompanied 
by Nato and Johnnie, where they found abun- 
dant amusement in launching bamboos, that had 
been broken by the wind, into the foam of the 
waterfall, and varying the amusement by occa- 
sionally helping themselves from the tempting 
contents of the basket. They all set up a great 
shout when the captain and William came into 
view. Willie whispered to Captain Griffin that 
his father had killed the big turtle which tried to 
run away, and they were going to have some of it 
for dinner, because he was coming, and insisted 
that both himself and William should dismount 
and partake of the refreshments they had pro- 
vided under the shadow of a projecting cliff, in 
which they were fain to gratify him. Scarcely 
had they commenced to eat, having turned the 
mules loose to graze at will, when they saw God- 
soe coming to join them, being too impatient to 
await the arrival of Walter. The former greeted 
his friend with a smile and grasp of the hand that 
fully confirmed all Walter had heard from William 


WILLIE GIVES AWAY HIS PLAYTHINGS. 287 


in respect to the change that had taken place in 
the feelings and views of Godsoe during his 
absence. 

“You now understand/’ said Walter, the mo- 
ment they were alone, “ why love to God brings 
us to love the things he has made.” 

“ I have, indeed, learned many things,” was the 
reply, “ and, among others, that obedience is 
sweet.” 

Godsoe, knowing that Walter would make but 
a short tarry when he came again, had prepared 
everything in advance. He had sent fowls, plan- 
tain, bananas, cocoa-nuts, oranges, and many nuts 
and preserves, down the brook to Port Royal, as 
presents for his parents, and for Walter and the 
crew to eat on the passage, also two goats for 
milk. 

Willie now began to dispose of his treasures 
preparatory to departure ; his mocking bird he 
gave to William, his parrot to Johnnie, and Peter 
to Nato. His garden was committed to the care 
of his father, especially the cocoa-nut tree, which 
Godsoe promised to pay special attention to, and 
write Willie in relation to its growth and welfare. 
His goat and kids he intrusted to William, and 


288 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


was about to give the turtle-shell boat to Nato and 
Johnnie, as joint property, but Aunt Dinah in- 
terfered. 

Gib him to me, Massa Willie ; gib your ole 
Aunty Dinah something for ^member you by, 
when you is gwine away.” 

What you want a boat for. Aunt Dinah ? ” 

“Ise want him fur put Qua in” (Qua was 
Aunt Dinah’s baby). S’pose you gib him to de 
chiPn, dey drown deyselves; no hoP dem bot; 
s’pose you gib him me; me git Nic’las make 
’em big boat, jes like buckra boat, out de cot- 
ton tree.” 

“Well, Auntie Dinah, I’ll give it to you.” 

“ Tank you, Massa Willie, Ise take off de 
wood, den Ise stuff him, mek him sof fur lilly 
picaninny.” 

He gave his hens to Aunt Dinah, and peacocks 
to Luna. 

“ Do you expect to return here. Captain Grif- 
fin?” asked Godsoe. 

“ Probably I shall, although I shall make no 
agreement without first consulting the owners; 
the planters will load me, and are anxious for me 
to come.” 


WILLIE GIVES AWAY HIS PLAYTHINGS. 289 


Can you make it profitable ? ” 

Yes; this voyage, if I get home, and am not 
taken by some cruiser, will be very profitable.” 

^‘Then, of course, you’ll come again.” 

That doesn’t follow, because this time I had 
agreed with the English commanding officer to 
bring a cargo of provisions for cash, and with 
that cash I’ve bought of the planters — who were 
short of money — for half price ; but if I should 
come here again with a cargo on my own hook, 
they might not allow me to trade at all ; or if they 
did, I should have to barter for the produce of the 
island, which would not pay as well as going to 
France, because even if I am captured by an Eng- 
lish cruiser, they will treat me well, and pay for 
my cargo ; but if I am taken coming here or going 
from here, by a French cruiser, they’ll be so mad 
because I’m trading with an island the English 
have taken from them, that they would confiscate 
my cargo, perhaps my vessel, call me all the bad 
names the French language affords, and imprison 
me to boot. But if the English would agree to 
take another load of provisions. I’d venture to 
make the bargain, because, when I got the cash, I 
could go to Trinidad and buy molasses.” 

19 


290 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


“ Won’t this fleet want provisions just as much 
in a few weeks ? ” 

That is what I expect ; and I don’t think, if I 
should come out here after the hurricane months 
are over, I should run much risk of not obtaining 
a high price in cash for my cargo. Their provis- 
ions have got to come principally from America ; 
there’s a great scarcity in England, and they can 
get nothing from the Baltic.” 

“ Why don’t you take the Languedoc ? Then 
you may laugh at the cruisers.” 

“ She sails like the wind, but is so sharp she 
won’t carry enough, except of some article that 
brings a very high price. It is better to load her 
with powder or arms, and run the blockade.” 

“ You don’t know how hard it is to part with 
this child, but I know it is for his good ; and 
if you only come back and tell me how he got 
there, and what father and mother said, and all the 
particulars, it will be a great comfort, and aid me 
very much to sustain the loss of his society. Since 
his mother’s death I have been, when at home, his 
playmate, his nurse. He has slept with me, ac- 
companied me wherever T have been on the 
island, and made, as it were, a part of myself; 


WILLIE GIVES AWAY HIS PLAYTHINGS. 291 


but I don’t want him to grow up among slaves, 
to be waited upon till all the nerve and pith is 
taken out of him. He don’t know what slave means 
yet; Nato and Johnnie are his playmates and 
equals ; ‘‘ massa ” means nothing as yet to him ; I 
don’t mean it ever shall, for I despise the whole 
thing, and always did. I think it is as bad for the 
master as the slave, and would free them all to- 
morrow, if I could.” 

“ Why can’t you ? ” 

“Because they belong to the child, to the es- 
tate, and not to me. 1 might sell them, and turn 
the money into the estate ; but they are better off 
with me than anywhere else, and it would be 
doing them an injury. But,” taking Walter by 
the hand, “ it is not the trial it would have been 
once. To have been left alone at one time a prey 
to remorse, to pace the floor, wander around the 
glen without object or hope, wake out of sleep in 
terror, the sweat starting from every pore, I 
should have gone mad, drowned reflection in rum, 
or gone back to old comrades and practices. But 
I am no longer afraid of myself or my Maker ; no 
longer fear to be alone ; shall receive letters from 
home, watch the progress of Willie, feel that J 


292 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


have done the best thing for him, attend to my 
business, and earn money honestly to make a good 
use of it, render all around me happy, — even if at 
times the past comes up to trouble me, — and see 
God in his work and in his word.” 

It makes a vast difference, John, when a maffs 
foes are no longer those of his own household, and 
he is not all the time trying to run away from 
himself.” 

I think I had some experience of that ; but the 
house is habitable now, and I’m not afraid to 
take the hatches off, for the viper’s teeth are 
drawn.” 

“ I suppose there’s no particular need of char- 
ging you to take good care of that garden and 
cocoa-nut tree.” 

“ Take care of it ! I tell you the roots of that 
tree are in my heart; that tree, that the little 
boy planted, his hands have handled, and the 
, ground his little feet have so often trodden, will 
be very dear to me ; I shall take care of that spot 
myself. There’s one thing, however, I want to 
mention to you before it slips my memory.” 

'^'What is that ? ” 

I don’t mean Willie shall ever come back here. 


WILLIE GIVES AWAY HIS PLAYTHINGS. 293 


I want him to forget all about it, and have his asso- 
ciations altogether in America, though I don’t tell 
him so now ; and in my letters to him, I shall grad- 
ually drop any references to persons and things 
here. I haven’t forgotten the little garden I used 
to make at home, and how proud I used to be 
when my harvest came, how sweet the taste of 
the things I had raised myself, and how happy I 
felt when all the folks praised them, and how I 
loved the trees I used to bring out of the woods 
and set out. All these things come back to me 
just like water flowing out of a sluice, now that 1 
have given my heart to God, and things start up 
that I have not thought of for years, since I wrote 
that letter to father and mother ; just like a new 
growth, as I have seen the fire-weed, and the 
pigeon-weed, and a hundred other plants that you 
don’t often see, which come upon land that’s been 
burnt over. Well, I’ve been burnt over, and feel 
new all over. The fact is, Walter, I’ve been born 
over again ; I know I have ; just as sure of it as a 
man that’s been sick, and got well, is that he is 
well.” 

“That’s so,” said Walter; “he don’t need to ask 
the doctor if he’s well.” 


294 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


“ Where was I ? When I get to talking about my 
feelings, and what has been done in me and for me, 
1 don’t know where to stop. I feel just as Sam 
Gilky did when he experienced religion. You 
know Sam Gilky the cooper in our town, that used 
to make so many mackerel and beef barrels for 
Uncle Isaac.” 

Yes, indeed ; he’s making ’em yet.” » 

Well, Sam came into meeting and said he felt 
like a new cask, double hooped. That’s the way 
I feel.” 

You wanted to mention something to me.” 


MAKING RESTITUTION. 


295 


CHAPTER XIX. 

MAKING RESTITUTION. 

I recollect now what I was talking about. 
j I know how these early feelings stick and 
hang. Now I want you to tell father to put 
Willie right in with th§ boys, and not to use the 
money I shall send by you to buy broadcloth or 
kerseymere, or even satinet; but for mother to 
weave him fulled cloth trousers, waistcoat, and 
jacket ; knit his stockings and color ’em in the dye- 
pot, red stockings, mittens, and comforter next 
winter, just as she used to for me when I was a 
little boy. Not to pet him, and make a fool of 
him, or let on that his father is rich, or that he 
will have property ; but let him go beech-nutting, 
acorning, fishing, and into the woods with the 
neighbors’ boj^s, dig a hole in the ground and 
hoard apples ; and next spring let him have a gar- 
den, and as he gets older a cosset lamb, hens, and 


296 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


ducks ; set them, and raise chickens, and learn to 
work. They won’t find the least trouble in’ get- 
ting him to work, for he is naturally active. He 
worships me, and if they tell him that when I was 
a boy I worked and helped father in the field, that 
will be enough ; he’ll be as keen for work as the 
monkey was the other day for helping turn over 
the turtle.” 

“You say he never will come back to Marti- 
nique. Is not his property here ? ” 

“ Yes ; but I am executor of the estate, and have 
power given me by will to sell real estate and per- 
sonal property. 1 cannot give the slaves their 
freedom, because in the eye of the law they are 
property ; but I can sell them or anything else for 
the child, and invest the money for him; and I 
intend to do so. I have also real estate and money 
that Mr. Livingston gave me after the death of his 
son. He gave me, by deed, the property that 
would have fallen to his son if he had lived, and 
the proper^ his son possessed in his own right, 
and that his father became heir to at young Liv- 
ingston’s death. 1 shall dispose of that too. I 
can’t get up any affection for this place or people. 
As I told you before, 1 can’t forget home and boy- 


MAKING RESTITUTION. 


297 


hood ; and I want the old folks to drive it into 
Willie, as it was driven into me. I want him dyed 
in the wool, and in fast colors. You think that 
ceiba tree is something great ; but it don’t begin 
with the rock maple on Cole’s Hill, in our western 
pasture, the first week in June. I tell you there 
used to be a glory on that tree when I was going 
after the cows, and the sun was saying ' good 
night ’ to it.” 

“ Why, John, I never heard you talk half so 
much before, since I’ve known you. Didn’t know 
you could.” 

“ ’Cause I’ve got up on the hill in our pasture, 
and the air revives me. I tell you, Walter, give 
me the great, thick woods ; the pines, oaks, beeches, 
and maples ; the surf on the shore ; the corn break- 
ing out of the husk in October ; the grain, grass, 
and apples ; men like Lion Ben, Edmund GriflSn, 
Captain Rhines, and John, and Uncle Isaac Murch 
in his day ; men that would take these miserable, 
gabbling, yellow, smoke-dried, grinning Frenchmen 
one in each hand, and smash their heads together ; 
men that have strength in their arms, brains in 
their heads, and principle in their hearts ; men 
who, attacked at every disadvantage, and outnum- 


298 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


bered ten to one, could take the Languedoc, and 
you may have your negroes, Frenchmen, cocoa-nuts, 
oranges, custards, apples, spices ; yes, sugar and 
molasses to boot.’’ 

“ Well, I will do it, and just as you wish.” 

“ There’s only one thing 1 want him ever to 
imitate me in.’’ 

“ What is that? ” 

Love of work. Whatever else folks at home 
may think and say of me, nobody can say or will 
say that I was shiftless or lazy ; or as was said of 
Tom Gardner, after he was drowned, that they 
missed him only at meal times. I say nothing in 
respect to religious matters, because there’s no 
need of it ; they’ll do by him as they did by me ; 
but they will not have the rugged, wilful nature 
to deal with in him that they had in me. He’ll 
kindly take restraint and good counsel. Yet I had 
to knuckle, after all, and I thank God for it, and 
that I’m not ashamed of it. You don’t know any- 
thing about it, Walter ; you was always a good boy. 
One man’s experience is different from another’s. 
You stand and stare at me with those sharp eyes 
of yourn ; but I can tell you, the things that are 
put into a boy when he’s little, they grow into 


MAKING RESTITUTION. 


299 


him ; they are there, though they ma}^ be covered 
over. I’ve found it so. On board ship, the're’s 
nothing like having the ground tackle good ; and 
these good principles that a boy gets thus early, 
when his mother puts him to bed, and when his 
father takes him on his knee, and that goes in with 
a kiss, they become clinched around the riding 
bitts of his soul, and they’ll hold him when the 
water’s all thick with sand, and right in the break- 
ers. The vessel may start her anchors, drift a 
good ways into the very edge of the surf ; people 
looking on give her up for lost ; but when she’s 
almost ashore, and comes to drag her anchors up 
hill, they’ll fetch her up. There are some things 
in relation to others I wish to trouble you with. 
First, this letter to my father. You’ll give it to 
him when no one is present, or none but mother. 
Tell him not to open it before others. Here is a 
letter to Parson Goodhue. In it I’ve told him 
about taking the cheese from his saddle-bags and 
putting the grindstone instead of it, and stealing 
apples from his orchard, and a crowbar from his 
barn.” 

“ What did you want of the crowbar?” 

I wanted a little anchor for a boat I had. I 


300 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


dared not carry it to Peter Brock, for fear he 
would ask me where I got it ; so I got a sailor that 
1 knew, who went in the old sloop Elizabeth, to 
get it made in Portland ; then had to tell father a 
pack of lies as to how I came by it. Well, I’ve 
asked his forgiveness, and in a keg that you’ll 
find when you get on board Pve put one hundred 
dollars, as restitution.” 

“ A hundred dollars ? Why, the cheese wasn’t 
worth two dollars, and all you took would be more 
than covered by a pound note. I should think 
that was restitution with a vengeance.” 

Didn’t Zaccheus restore fourfold ? ” 

“ Yes ; but that’s twenty fold.” 

The good old man don’t have so much that it 
will hurt him.” 

‘‘ I suppose it came easy.” 

“ I suppose you mean by robbery. No ; it came 
by hard knocks and honest dealing ; there’s no 
blood on it ; not a dollar that I shall send by you 
came by any such practices. You’ll find this 
money wrapped and marked. In another parcel, 
twenty dollars to Hannah Murch, Uncle Isaac’s 
wddow, for that piece of red chalk and a draw- 
shave I stole when he was putting a porch on 


MAKING RESTITUTION. 


801 


our house. I remember when I was aboard the 
Languedoc, hearing you and John Rhines telling 
about his going with Charlie Bell and Fred Williams 
to get fish for old Mrs. Yelf; and if I- am not mis- 
taken, you said the old lady was still living and 
poor.” 

“ Yes ; that is so.” 

Well, you’ll find two hundred dollars for her.” 

“ What is that for ? ’ 

Because she is a nice old woman ; has had a 
hard time all her life with a drunken husband ; has 
given me many a piece of sweet cake, and many a 
warm doughnut, right from the kettle ; and because 
when old Uncle Yelf got dead drunk, and was 
lying on a pile of boards behind the mill. Clash 
and I shaved his head, painted his face with lamp- 
black and red ochre, just as we had heard Uncle 
Isaac say the Indians were painted, carried him 
home in the twilight, and set him at his door, then 
knocked, and hid, frightening his wife half to 
death.” 

I should think money was plenty with you, to 
give it away at this rate.” 

Money? Come, go with me.” Godsoe took 
him by the arm, and conducted him behind the 


302 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


great cliff that rose in the rear of the house. In 
a few minutes they came to a precipice from which 
hung a vast mass of creeping plants of various 
kinds. Bidding Walter follow him, he forced a 
passage through the network of foliage, and they 
entered a natural fissure in the rock along which 
they passed for several feet, till their progress was 
arrested by a heap of stones that apparently had 
fallen from the sides of the cavern. Godsoe, re- 
moving some of tliese, discovered a secret door 
leading to a cavern beneath, but perfectly dark. 
Godsoe, descending, drew a steel and flint from 
some familiar place of deposit, and after strik- 
ing a light, invited Walter to descend. He found 
himself in a receptacle about six feet square, but 
not of sufficient height to admit of standing erect. 
Here, flung together in heaps, without any attempt 
at order, were gold and silver coins of different 
nations, precious stones, and gold and silver orna- 
ments of all kinds, similar to those he had seen in 
the hollow timber on board the Languedoc, although 
there were no arms. Walter gazed with astonish- 
ment upon the mass of treasure. 

“ Here,’’ said Godsoe, “ is gold and silver that 
came of blood. The boy has property enough to 


MAKING RESTITUTION. 


303 


maintain him in affluence, the knowledge of which, 
till habits of self-reliance and industry are formed, 
would only be of injury to him. I have sufficient 
to afford me every comfort of life here, or else- 
where, and can, by cultivating this glen, increase 
it at will without touching this. I cannot restore 
it to the owners, for they are dead, nor to the heirs, 
for I don^t know them ; therefore, you need not be 
surprised that I should not be particular about a 
few dollars in making restitution in respect to the 
only persons to whom it is possible to make it. I 
thought myself fortunate when I obtained all this 
wealth by such means ; but within the last few 
weeks I have found what it is not in the power of 
wealth, however obtained, to bestow. Indeed, I 
know not what to do with this treasure ; but if I 
cannot restore it, 1 trust I shall be forgiven.’’ 

“ Providence,” replied Walter, will doubtless 
provide some way; you know the negro saying, 
‘ When de cow’s got no tail, God Almighty brushes 
off de flies.” 

When they returned to the house, they found 
Willie surrounded by a most attentive audience, 
composed of his usual attendants, Nato, Johnnie, 
and, in addition. Aunt Dinah, Luna, and four or five 


304 


THE CHILD OP THE ISLAND GLEN. 


other little darkies, the children of Nicholas and 
Adam. Willie was relating to them the wonderful 
stories he had heard on board the vessel about 
bears, moose, deer, wolves, catamounts, wolverines, 
and Indians, about their scalping people, and 
burning them alive. He was just in the middle 
of a story about a bear that had taken a hog in 
his fore paws, and was walking off with him, 
standing up on his hind legs ; the bear, according 
to Willie, being as tall as the house, when the 
attention of the audience was diverted by the 
most fearful screams. Qua — Aunt Dinah’s baby 
— was asleep in a wooden tray, for she had not yet 
constructed her cradle, the tray sitting on the 
ground at her feet. Just behind her was the 
monkey, fastened by a chain to his bench. Peter, 
not being particularly interested in the story, had 
ascertained, by sundry stretchings, that he could 
probably reach the tray. While Aunty was oc- 
cupied listening to Willie, he let himself quietly 
to the ground, and extending his body to the 
utmost limit his chain would permit, succeeded 
in reaching the edge of the tray with his toe-nails, 
and gradually drew it along the ground towards 
him, till, fastening his nails in the picaninuy’s 
head, he dragged it from the tray, the blood 


MAKING RESTITUTION. 


305 


oozing from scratches inflicted by its claws, and 
the baby screeching with might and main. Had 
this happened the day after, instead of the day 
before, Willie’s departure, Peter would probably 
have gone where wicked monkeys go. As it was, 
he received from the hands of the enraged mother 
a sound thrashing. 

The next morning the mules were brought up, 
and preparation made for immediate departure. 
The money to which we have referred, with 
several hundred dollars additional to be given 
to Godsoe’s father for Willie’s expenses, a bag 
of cofiee, one of sugar, and everything Godsoe 
could think of for Willie’s comfort, and presents 
for Walter, were placed on baggage mules. 
Willie wanted his father to go with them to the 
vessel ; but he was not willing, accompanying 
them, however, through the pass. 

When they separated, Godsoe said to Walter, 
You have been the best friend to me that ever 
one was to another.” 

At the abandoned plantation Walter found his 
boat, according to previous arrangements, and 
the company passed down the river, and to 
the Osprey, at her more distant anchorage. 

20 


306 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


CHAPTER XX. 

WILLIE ON SHIPBOARD. 

T hey had a long pull out of the creek to the 
vessel, for she lay some distance from the 
shore, broad off in the bay. The sea breeze had 
blown fresh during the afternoon, and made quite 
“ a chop of sea.” The boat, deeply laden with 
the articles that had been sent by Godsoe and her 
own crew, plunged deeply as the men forced her 
into a head-beat sea, being anxious to get on board, 
not having had their supper. The spray that flew 
from the blades of the oars and from the bow wet 
them considerably, coming full in the faces of those 
seated in the stern-sheets. Willie had never been 
on any extent of water larger than the brook. 
The waves, capped with white foam, and the 
pitching and rocking of the boat, that at times 
stood pretty well on one end, and the spray flying 
in his face, were all new to him, and quite a rude 


WILLIE ON SHIPBOARD. 


307 


and strange experience for a little boy, never from 
home a day at a time, or a single night, in his life, 
and among comparative strangers. Most little 
boys in the same circumstances would have been 
terrified enough, and cried to go home. Willie 
looked a little wild at first ; but when he saw that 
no one else appeared to regard it, he brushed off 
the water, put his hands over the side of the boat, 
laughed, and chattered all the way to the vessel. 
He had already obtained a new idea, and found 
that the water of the sea was salt. He asked 
Captain Griffin why it was, who replied that he 
did not know, which astonished Willie very much, 
as previously he had thought Captain Griffin knew 
everything. It was dusk when they reached the 
vessel, and the cook had supper ready. 

Our readers must recollect that, although Willie 
was a bright, resolute, intelligent little boy, as far 
as natural qualifications extended, he was only 
six years old, had never been placed in circum- 
stances to obtain the knowledge which, even at that 
tender age, is acquired in a large family, and by 
being in society, where children go to school, or to 
the homes of their relatives and neighbr ^’-ave 
grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and bi .ers, 


308 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


and are always learning from them and their play- 
mates, and seeing, day by day, and learning the 
use and name of some new thing — a tree, bird, 
beast, flower, or persons. But Willie was born in 
the glen, and had never, till the first time he came 
on board the vessel with Captain GriflSn, been 
away from it, except to ride to the mountain with 
his father. His grandfather having died when he 
was a babe, and his mother when a mere child, his 
only companions were his father and the negroes ; 
but till Godsoe was taken prisoner by Walter, and 
abandoned his piratical cruises, he was seldom at 
home ; and Captain Griffin was the first white per- 
son, except his father, he had ever seen, for he 
had no distinct recollection of his mother. You 
may think this singular ; so it is ; but there were 
suflScient causes for it. The glen was in the heart 
of the mountains, and well nigh inaccessible to 
those unacquainted. The mountains and ravines 
were the haunt and refuge of runaway negroes 
and desperate men. During the life of Mr. Living- 
ston and his son there was more or less intercourse 
with the inhabitants of the island ; but Godsoe 
was not social in his nature, and was prejudiced 
against the inhabitants because they were French. 


WILLIE ON SHIPBOARD. 


309 


It was well enough understood by the inhabitants 
of the island generally that the Languedoc was a 
piratical vessel ; and after Godsoe became con- 
nected with her, he both avoided the society of 
the inhabitants and was shunned by them. It has 
been hinted that, after all, Godsoe was in reality 
the captain of the Languedoc, though Clash was 
the nominal master. This was really the case ; for 
John Godsoe was a remarkable man — a most ac- 
complished seaman and pilot, of excellent judg- 
ment, cool in the most desperate emergencies, and 
insensible to fear. His own comrades were afraid 
of him, and so was Lemaire, who both feared and 
hated, but could not succeed in assassinating him, 
for Godsoe had killed the only person in the island 
who dared to attempt it ; and had he not been well 
nigh slain at the commencement of the conflict 
with the Casco, it might have had a very different 
termination, for he would have assumed authority 
in the crisis. 

In such circumstances had this child been 
placed ; and at the age when children in New Eng- 
land begin to attend school, he did not know his 
letters. His mother before her death had charged 
her husband to teach Willie his prayers; and this 


310 THE CHILD OP THE ISLAND GLEN. 

was the sum total of his acquirements. Thus, as 
he evidently possessed an inquisitive spirit, you 
perceive how much there was for him to learn, and 
to what a multitude of subjects his attention would 
be at once directed. 

Captain Griffin expected that whenever the ves- 
sel went to sea Willie would be seasick, and had 
constructed a little berth for him on the transom 
of the vessel beside his own, in order that he 
might take care of him more conveniently. Willie 
was delighted with it, and thought it the cosiest 
little nest that ever was, and being tired with his 
journey, was ready to jump right into it the mo- 
ment he had swallowed his supper, and notwith- 
standing the novelty of his situation, was in a few 
moments sound asleep. 

At daybreak the vessel was got under way. 
Willie, waked by the clank of the windlass pawls 
and the song of the men at the windlass, ran up 
on deck in his night clothes. As his father or 
Aunt Dinah had always dressed him. Captain Grif- 
fin sent the cook down to dress him ; and now for 
this child commenced a life of entirely new expe- 
riences. The cook, Frank Merrithew, was a 
negro, as were most of the cooks of that day on 
shipboard. 


WILLIE ON SHIPBOARD. 


311 


When, after the war of the revolution, the slaves 
were liberated in New England, great numbers of 
them resorted to the sea, and followed it as cooks, 
stewards, or before the mast, especially in vessels 
employed in the West India trade, as they were 
not affected by the climate. Vessels often went 
from the ports in Maine to the West Indies, the 
captain and chief mate being the only white men 
on board — the second mate and crew all negroes. 

A great friendship instantly commenced ’ be- 
tween Frank and Willie. Negroes are naturally 
fond of children ; and Frank was pleased to find 
that Willie, nursed by Aunt Dinah, and all his life 
accustomed to the company of blacks, manifested 
none of that disinclination to close contact that a 
white child at the north would have done. 

Who put you clones on when you home, son- 
nie ? ’’ asked Frank. 

“Aunt Dinah, most every morning; sometimes 
father does.’^ 

“ What you fader name, sonnie ? 

“ Father said my name was Willie Godsoe.^^ 

“ Den you fader’s name Godsoe. ’Member dat, 
sonnie — boy same his fader allers. Don’t you 
mudder dress you ? ” 


312 THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 

Mother’s dead.” 

Who do you sleep wid ? ” 

^‘With my father. I used to sleep with Aunt 
Dinah.” 

“ Is you Aunt Dinah white woman ? ” 

“ No, she’s black woman. I say my prayers to 
Aunt Dinah. Sometimes I used to sleep with 
William.” 

“ Who be William? ” 

He’s the overseer.” 

“ He colored man ? ” 

What is colored man ? ” 

Black man — dey same ting.” 

Yes.” 

You’s got any brudders ? ” 

“ Yes ; two.” 

What dere names ? ” 

“ Nato and Johnnie.” 

How ole be dey ? ” 

I don’t know. Nato’s big as I am. Johnnie’s 
big boy. He can climb the cocoa-nut tree. I’ve 
got a cocoa-nut.” 

“ You has ? ” 

Yes, in my garden.” 

“ 0, kye ! ” 


WILLIE ON SHIPBOARD. 


313 


Aunt Dinah got a little baby, and I give my 
turtle-shell boat for a cradle.’’ 

Dat all de childer Aunt Dinah got, dat little 
baby ? ” 

No ; she got Nato and Johnnie.” 

Is Nato and Johnnie white ? ” 

“ No.” 

Den dey ain’t you brudders.” 

Yes, they be.” 

‘‘ No, sonnie, dey can’t be.” 

They play with me all the time.” 

“ Yes, sonnie, but dey ain’t brudders ; no mat- 
ter, sonnie, ’bout dat.” 

Will you play with me ? ” 

God bress de chile, what funny leetle ting he 
be ! I got work, sonnie, get de breakfas’ for de 
men and de cap’n, and help hold de turn at de 
windlass when dey git de anchor hove short.” 

Can I see you get breakfast ? ” 

Yes, sonnie ; and in de afternoon, den I git 
all de dishes wash, den me play wid you leetle 
bit. You can help me feed de chicken, sonnie; 
gib dem water. How many slave you fader 
hab ? ” 

“ What’s a slave ? ” 


314 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


Dunno you know?’’ 

No. Willie don’t know what you mean.” 

No matter, den ; how many black folks be 
dere ? ” 

“There’s William, and Luna, Aunt Dinah, Nich- 
olas, Nato, Johnnie, and the baby — he’s Qua; 
Adam, Rachel, Hagar, Norah, Joan, and Phillis, 
Uncle Nathan, Sam, Andrew, John, Robert, Pam, 
and Tom; then there’s boys and girls — there’s 
Molly, Venus, Sally, Taffey, Peter, and Moses.” 

“0, my! You fader got all dem?” 

“ There’s another Peter, but he’s the monkey ; 
he pulled Qua out of the tray, and Aunt Dinah 
whipped him ’cause he hurted the baby, and 
made his face bleed.” 

“ Now, sonnie, you put on de stockings and de 
shoes. Ise ’fraid de coffee bile ober ; den youse 
come to de galley, me tie up you shoes.” 

The galley was a wooden house for the cook 
(containing a stove), with two shove-doors, oppo- 
site each other, a seat across the end, in front of 
the stove, and one or two shelves, on which to 
put his utensils, and now takes the place of the 
old-fashioned fireplace beneath deck. 

Here Willie found the cook busily employed 


WILLIE ON SHIPBOARD. 


315 


getting his breakfast, and his fire in such a man- 
ner that he could leave it. 

Just as he had tied up Willie’s shoes, and 
washed his face, the mate sung out, — 

Doctor,” — a term often applied to the cook, — 
bear a hand ; hold the turn.” 

“ Ise put you in the long-boat, sonnie ; den 
you be out de men’s way, and you see ebery- 
ting what dey do.” 

The long-boat, in a West Indiaman, is very 
large, having great breadth, in order to carry 
hogsheads of sugar and molasses, casks of water, 
and other bulky articles. It is set in chocks, to 
keep it upright, and on the main hatcli. Being 
thus very near, and just aft the galley, it is the 
receptacle of the cook’s wood, and all kinds of 
odds and ends, and securely lashed to ring-bolts 
in the deck, and upon either side of it are lashed 
water-casks and spare spars. These spars afford- 
ed Willie a good foothold by which to clamber, 
and he was soon in the boat, in the bows of which 
was a great pile of bags of coffee, with a tar- 
paulin flung over them to keep off the dew, till 
they could be stowed away in the cabin. 

Seated on these, Willie could see all that was 


316 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


going on, listened to the song of the men at the 
windlass, and watched the cook as he held the 
turn, while others coiled away the cable as it 
came in. 

A king conch came up on the fluke of the 
anchor, some shells, and pieces of coral. Henry 
Griffin secured them, and gave them to Willie. 
After weighing anchors, the vessel was towed 
out clear of the shoals, where she lay becalmed, 
waiting for the sea breeze to spring up, and all 
hands got breakfast. 

Willie was certainly in a fair way of obtain- 
ing ideas as fast as he could digest them. No 
sooner had he finished his breakfast, than he was 
at the galley doors, to ask Frank how he should 
get the mud off his conch, coral, and other shells. 

By way of reply, the black drew a bucket of 
water, and put them all into it. 

Here, sonnie, let ’em be dere till I clar up de 
breakfast, and make de cap’n’s bed ; den I show 
you ; de conch keep alive in de water. Now you 
jump up in you place, ’cause de men gwine git 
de vessel under way, and you hear de song, and 
see de sails go up.” 

Having brought up the breakfast dishes from 


WILLIE ON SHIPBOARD. 


317 


the cabin, the cook sat down to eat his own meal, 
while Willie, perched on the bags of coffee, was 
all eyes and ears, and watched the men with a 
throbbing heart as they went aloft to loose the 
sails ; for he was sure that some of them would fall 
down and kill themselves : especially was this the 
case when he saw Edwards go up to loose the 
royal, and after that, lie out on the end of the top- 
gallant yard to clear the royal sheet, that was 
jammed in the sheave-hole, and startled the cook 
from his breakfast, by crying out to him that 
Edwards was going to fall. 

When the men began to sway up the yards, and 
sheet home the topsails, he clapped his hands, and 
joined in the chorus, after hearing it repeated 
once or twice. The breeze now began to fill the 
sails, coming at first in gentle puffs, gradually be- 
coming more frequent, and increasing in strength ; 
and the vessel gathered headway. 

As the Osprey worked out of the bay, she 
passed, in a number of instances, where the water 
was deep quite near the shore. Willie, getting 
down from his perch, now went to the side, and, 
getting upon one of the wooden guns, looked at 
the shore, and in a few moments came running 


318 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


up to Walter, and told him the ground was mov- 
ing, dragging him to the side to see ; and it was 
a long time before the captain could satisfy him 
that the vessel was running by the land, and not 
the land by the vessel. He next espied the com- 
pass in the binnacle, and began to examine it; 
first looking at the compass, and then at the man 
at the helm, while Walter sat on the hen-coop, 
watching the expression of his face with a good 
deal of interest. At length he approached Wal- 
ter, and asked him (who had been expecting the 
question) what the compass was for, and what the 
man was standing looking at it all the time for, 
and putting that great long beam first one way 
and then t’other.’’ 

He took the child on his knee, and endeavored 
to give him some notion of the four points of the 
compass ; told him the compass pointed north, and 
tried to show him how, from knowing one, you 
could find the other points. He got a piece of 
chalk, and drew a circle, dividing it into the car- 
dinal points; then Willie wanted to know what 
made the needle point north, and finally seemed 
satisfied with the conclusion that the compass was 
alive, and knew the way all over the world, and 


WILLIE ON SHIPBOARD. 


319 


told the men that steered which way to put 
the tiller. 

Walter succeeded better in explaining to him 
in what way the rudder directed the vessel, by 
letting him stand behind the helmsman, put his 
hands on the tiller, and see that the brigantine 
turned in just the opposite direction from that in 
which the man put the tiller. When dinner was 
over, Willie bethought himself of his conch, coral, 
and shells. The cook now had leisure to attend 
to him. 

What a boy you is ! You jes’ like Mudder 
Cary’s chicken ; you no still one second ; sky- 
larking all de time.” 

^'What’s Mother Cary’s chickens?” 

Leetle birds ; lib on de sea, carry dere eggs 
under dere wings ; you see ’em bimeby, hear ’em 
sing out, when de storm gwine come, ^ Cook, cook, 
don’t lash de slush-barrel.’ ” 

Why don’t they want you to lash the slush- 
barrel ? ” 

“ Cause dey want de sea wash him oberboard, 
so dey can eat all de slush. Now Ise take off 
you jacket, den you paddle in de water much you 
like.” 


320 


WILLIE ON SHIPBOARD. 


Under the superintendence of the black, who 
drew several buckets of water for him, Willie 
washed his shells. The conch was alive, and 
when left alone in the bucket of water, protruded 
from the shell, but the moment Willie put his 
hand into the water, and touched it, drew back. 

“ Dat be king conch,” said Frank (the name 
given by sailors to the large, red-lipped shell of 
that kind). You must kill him.” 

What must I kill him fot ? ” 

’Cause, bimeby he die hisself ; den he hand- 
some color all fade ; look like sailor’s red shirt, 
what de sweat and sun bleach.” 

‘‘ How shall I kill him ? ” 

Me show yon, you want him killed.” 

Willie concluded to have him killed ; so the cook 
put the shell in scalding water. 

Here, now, he hold his color buful ! You 
show him you grandfader.” 

The wind now blew a whole-sail breeze, there 
was a sharp sea, and the vessel pitched and rolled. 
Willie could not walk the deck, but held on by 
the gripes of the long-boat, and kept his tongue 
running. 

‘‘ You feel sick, boy ? ” 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


321 


“ No, I don’t feel sick.” 

What boy you be ! Nebber see such boy ! 
Vessel roll and pitch. You no more seasick dan 
de. fish. Ah, youse bully boy ! You make sailor- 
man den you grow up.” 

Although not seasick, yet Willie was now pretty 
well tired, and as he had not yet got his sea-legs 
on, could no longer walk the decks, and Walter, 
afraid he would get ovei’board, persuaded him to 
lie down on his watch-coat, that he spread for him 
on the deck, till supper time ; after which the 
little fellow turned in, completely wearied out 
with his first day’s experience on shipboard. 

Although Charlie Bell had introduced many im- 
provements in the construction of this vessel, the 
high quarter-deck was still retained, with a ladder 
of four steps to get up to it. It was fine sport for 
Willie, after he got his sea-legs on, to start from 
the windlass, gallop along the main-deck, up the 
steps to the quarter-deck, behind the man at the 
helm, and then along the other side, forward 
again. When tired of this, he would get into 
the cable tiers. The old hemp cables were coiled 
in large ovals, in the forward part of the vessel, 
called tiers, the oval from six to eight feet across, 
21 


322 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


three feet or more in height, according to the 
length and size of the cable. In rough weather, 
when it was difficult to sit on deck without pitch- 
ing away and sliding down to leeward, the men 
used to get into these tiers to eat ; the thick coils 
of the rope likewise kept off the spray. 

Into these Willie would get and coop, till the 
cook or some of the men would come and peep 
over the edge to find him. If ever a little boy 
was happy, Willie was, no small part of his happi- 
ness arising from his not being seasick. 

He was a universal favorite, and was not still a 
moment. He was forever asking questions of 
every one, and in relation to everything that 
excited his curiosity. 

The first thing he did when he turned out the 
second morning, was to get into the long-boat, 
where he could both command a good view, and, 
wedged in between two bags of coffee, retain his 
position. Forthwith he begins to question the 
cook, who at the galley door was washing his break- 
fast dishes. 

“ Frankie, what is that ? pointing to the lower 
sail on the foremast. 

Hat de fore-course.’^ 


WILLIE ON SHIPBOARD. 


323 


What is the next one ? ’’ 

“ Dat de fore-topsail.’^ 

Thus he went on till he had found out the 
names of all the sails, spars, and standing rigging, 
and soon mastered the braces and halyards, clew- 
lines and buntlines. It is evident that he was fast 
acquiring ideas. He was very fond of lying down 
between the knight-heads, and looking over the 
bows to see the vessel break the water ; on the 
transoms, and looking out of the cabin window ; 
watching the wake of the vessel, and the eddy of 
the water at the back of the rudder. 

Walter’s great concern was lest he should fall 
overboard, as he was utterly fearless, and would 
not hesitate to go anywhere he could manage 
to get. 

Willie had been told by the cook that he could 
catch rudder fish out of the ''abin window with 
hook and line. This idea once put into his head, 
Willie ran to the captain and begged a hook and 
line to catch rudder fish. 

Some of our young reader? may need to be in- 
formed that the rudder fish a small fish, about 
six* inches in length, that — for what reason it is im- 
possible to say — plays in the q'lick water around a 


324 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


vessel’s rudder, and, though they are so small, will 
keep right there close to the rudder, no matter 
how fast the vessel goes through the water, just 
as the horsefly, however great the speed of the 
horse, will keep pace wdth him. The captain 
probably did not thank the cook for putting the 
notion into the child’s head; but in order to 
gratify and not drown him, he fixed him out 
with a line and hook, a piece of white cloth for 
bait, and then, making a fathom of spun yarn fast 
to his leg, fastened the other end to the cabin 
table. Willie, however, was not old enough to 
catch a rudder fish, though he continued to fish 
with great perseverance ; but the cook caught 
three for him, which went far towards satisfying 
him. 

“ Wouldn’t try no more, sonnie ; Ise bake ’em 
for you in de oven, and make you leetle cake, put 
de plums in him.” 

Willie, having gratified his curiosity in respect 
to everything that attracted his attention on board 
the vessel, now devoted himself to repaying the 
favors he had received from the cook. He fed 
the hens, a large stock of which Godsoe had sent 
on board, gave them water and gravel, and fed the 


WILLIE ON SHIPBOARD. 


B25 


goats ; helped pick over the beans and the coffee, 
and take the skins from the bananas and plantains ; 
and when the men were bracing the yards, or 
hauling aft the sheets, he would get hold of the 
rope, grunt and tug, and thought he helped very 
much ; sometimes, to be sure, he would get trod^ 
den on, or some sailor would get his hard hand 
over his, and squat it; but though the tears at 
times came into his eyes, he never would cry aloud. 
Thus every day was a holiday to Willie ; there was 
always something to do he never had done, or to 
see that he never had seen. Little. matters inter- 
est or amuse a child ; a hen laid an egg, or was 
killed or died; a dolphin or a porpoise was 
caught, or a flying-fish came on board. 

Willie was extremely social in his habits. One 
day he would eat in the cabin ; the next, perhaps, 
with the men. With such crews as are now found 
on board ship, this would not have been per- 
mitted ; but these sailors were all steady young 
men, neighbors at home, of good character, and 
ambitious to rise in their profession. 

Willie took a notion that he wanted to be a 
sailor-boy, and dress like the rest. For the fun 
of the thing, Sewall Lancaster took a red shirt 


326 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


that he had never worn, cut it down, and made 
one for Willie ; Henry Griffin made him a pair of 
duck trousers sailor fashion, and Thaxter a tar- 
paulin hat. He looked funny enough, and cer- 
tainly felt large enough, especially when they hove 
the log, and permitted him to hold the fourteen- 
second glass. 

The fourth day out was Sunday. In the glen 
Willie had never seen any form of public worship, 
although there was a marked distinction between 
Sunday and other days of the week, in the fact 
that there was no work done, and William read 
his Bible. 

Now, however, he witnessed something resem- 
bling the New England Sabbath. 

The Osprey being a new vessel, and fitted 
away in great haste, there was a good deal of 
work to do on the rigging, chafing gear to make, a 
great deal of sewing and leathering to do. There 
had been but little time on the passage out, as it 
was short ; less while lying in Martinique by 
reason of boating down the cargo ; consequently 
the men were busily employed during their watch 
on deck. But Sabbath day nothing was done ex- 
cept what was absolutely necessary in order to 


WILLIE ON SHIPBOARD. 


327 


navigate the vessel. The men washed them- 
selves, put on clean clothes, and came to the 
cabin, where they had a religious service. The 
captain read the Scriptures, and made a prayer, 
to which his recent experience in relation to 
Godsoe imparted a peculiar fervency. There 
was no lack of singers among the crew, and 
several of them, who were religious men, took 
part in the service. It was the first thing of the 
kind Willie had ever witnessed. He sat beside 
Walter all the time as still as a mouse, and when 
the meeting was over and the men had gone for- 
ward, got up in Walter’s lap, and had a great 
many questions to ask. The captain answered 
them as well as he could, talked to him in a 
manner suited to his comprehension, and told him 
stories from the Bible. Willie, however, enjoyed 
himself best in the afternoon. 

Directly after dinner he got asleep in the 
mate’s lap, who put him into the berth without 
waking him. He slept till the middle of the after- 
noon, and then, going forward, found the cook in 
the galley with both doors shut, singing hymns for 
his own enjoyment and edification. Willie sat 
down beside him and listened till it was time to 


328 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


get supper, and hardly moved, so taken up was he 
with the singing of the cook, which he thought 
was a great deal better than what he had listened 
to in the cabin. The seat in the galley was too 
high for the little boy; his feet wouldn’t come 
down to the floor ; so he clambered into the cook’s 
lap and hardly stirred hand or foot. 

The black, a simple-hearted, pious man, who 
could read and write, — having been sent to school 
with Merrithew’s children, — was highly gratified 
with the great interest manifested by Willie in 
his singing, who at the conclusion of every hymn 
entreated him to sing another. At length he said, 
Youse good leetle boy ; nebber seed so good lee- 
tle boy ; set up to hear de cook sing; set up in de 
meeting jest like de windlass bitts. Sabior lub you ; 
he lub good boys.” 

Cookie, was the Saviour black man ? ” 

I dunno ; s’pose he white man.” 

But he loves the black folks — don’t he ? ” 

“Yes; he die for ’em all de same. Dunnie you 
lub de black folks ? ” 

“Yes; I love Aunt Dinah, William, Johnnie, 
Nato, and I love you, and the whole ship full.” 

“ Dat’s de way de Sabior do, you leetle blessin 


WILLIE ON SHIPBOARD. 


329 


you is. I make you nice pie, put spice in him, 
and all de grievances [ingredients]. I sing you 
song bout Johnnie’s going to de fair.” 

Sing it now, cookie.” 

^‘0, no, sonnie; dat no good, sing Sabbat day. Lor’ 
he no like it ; send big wind, hurricane, blow de brig 
ober ; send big fish, swallow us jest he did Jonah.” 

‘‘ What did the fish swallow Jonah for?” 

Dunno you know ? ” 

No.” 

“ Den Ise tell you. De good Lor’ he say to 
Jonah, ‘You go to Ninnyvar [Nineveh]. Ninnyvar 
awful big place. Tell ’em I gwine ’troy’ em, mash 
’em up.’ Jonah he no want to do what de Lor’ tell 
him ; he git into de ship, go some place else ; den 
de Lor’ he send hurricane, heave de ship on her 
beam-ends. Jonah he tells de sailors he runned 
away from de Lor’; dey heave him oberboard; Lor’ 
send big fish swallow him right down.” 

“ Did it kill him ? ” 

“ No ; he pray to de Lor’, say he berry sorry for 
what he did ; nebber do so ’gin.” 

“ How could he speak in the fish ? ” 

“ Dunno ; s’pose de Lor’ know. Den de Lor’ tell 
de fish, ‘You go ’shore, puke Jonah up; so he did, 
and Jonah he glad do what he told him den.” 


330 


THE CHILD OP THE ISLAND GLEN. 


CHAPTER XXL 

WILLIE AND THE PILOT. 

OTHING worthy of note occurred during 



X 1 the remainder of the passage. Willie had 
ever found the cook competent to answer all his 
questions in respect to the names of ropes and the 
management of the vessel; still he was always 
busy with his pots and pans, and never meddled 
with the working of the vessel any more than the 
captain, except to hold a turn in weighing anchor, 
and tending the fore-sheet, that belayed close by 
his galley, when the order was given to tack ship. 
This seemed very singular to Willie, and, as he 
was not wont to let anything lie on his mind long, 
he said to his black friend, — 

“ Cookie, are you a sailor?^’ 

“ Yes, I sailor-man.” 

“ But you don’t go up on the mast.” 

“ ’Cause it no my duty.” 


WILLIE AND THE PILOT. 


331 


“ Can you steer the vessel ? ” 

“ Sure I can. T able seaman — hand, reef, and 
steer, make splice, make knot, heab de lead wid 
any man ^ board.’' 

Then why don’t you never go up on the mast 
and steer, like the other sailors do ? ” 

“ ’Cause I no ship for sailor ; I ship for cook ; 
cook the victual for all hands. Bery bad wedder, 
me go ’loft, but no ’bliged to ; but we had no bad 
wedder dis vige. Sometimes I ship for sailor ; 
den I no cook — steer de ship, go ’loft, work on de 
rigging.” 

It seemed to Willie that to be a sailor was much 
more attractive and honorable than to be washing 
dishes, pounding coffee, chopping meat, and all 
that ; and he replied, — 

“ I should think that you’d like better to be a 
sailor.” 

Dat ’cause you dunno, sonnie. Sailor he turn 
in, sleep leetle while ; second mate come to de 
gangway, ‘ Starboard watch, ahoy ! hear de news 
derff below?’ Den he must turn out. Cook he 
sleep all night. Sailor-man he eat his grub, want 
rest leetle; mate he sing out, ^Turn to, men!’ 
Cook he eat his dinner, eat long he like, rest long 


332 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


he like, take leetle smoke de pipe ; so he do his 
work, git his grub ready, none de mate’s business ; 
nobody tell him turn to. Sailor-man he eat what 
de cap’n tell de cook gib him, notting more. Cook 
hab someting ob eberyting de cap’n hab. S’pose 
de vessel go to Habana : sailor he tired ; work all 
day on de raff, in hot sun, raftin’ green boards. 
Tree o’clock in de morning, second mate come to 
de gangway, take rope’s end, strike, bang ! bang ! 
den he sing out, sharp, ‘ Turn out here, men ! 
Tow de raff. Hear de news dere below? ’ Sailor- 
man say, ^ Ay, ay, saar ! ’ Mate go ’way ; den sailor- 
man curse ; den he growl ; den he say, ‘ Wish my 
fader nebber let me go to sea ! ’ No matter how 
much he growl ; hab go tow de raff ’way ober de 
Reglas ’fore he git any breakfas’. Cook he turn 
out bimeby, make de fire in de galley; den he 
take drink ob coffee ; take leetle smoke ; git break- 
fas’ ; set on de seat, . watch de pot. Sailor-man 
come ’board half dead, eat his grub, den go raftin’ 
board ’gin. Sailor-man hab eight dollars de month ; 
cook he hab twelve ; den de cook hab de slush 
[grease] sell to de soap-man when he git home ; 
buy my ole woman gown, shoes for chilens. Dat 
de reason, sonnie, dis chile no be sailor-man, when 
he git cook’s berth.” 


WILLIE AND THE PILOT. 


333 


He might have added other reasons — that a 
good cook makes a contented crew, while a bad 
one may create a mutiny ; that he can easily waste 
or save the difference in the wages, especially if 
he is cook and steward both, as Merrithew was. 

The Osprey took a pilot ten miles outside of 
Boston Light. The pilot was a man past fifty, 
large, very tall, and his beard, that he wore at full 
length, as also his whiskers and mustache, had been 
once jet black, but were now as white as a sheet. 

Willie, having slept later than common, was 
eating his breakfast when the pilot came on board. 
He was climbing up the steps that led to the quar- 
ter-deck, when, raising his eyes, he looked the 
pilot, who was standing looking at the compass, 
full in the face. With a screech he fell back, and 
picking himself up, ran to Henry Griffin, the 
second mate, and, clasping his arms around his 
legs, screamed, “ A wolverene ! a wolverene ! ” 
trembling with terror. Henry took him up in his 
arms, and endeavored in vain to soothe him. 

Bring him to me,” said the captain. 

But Willie resisted with all his might, and 
begged to be carried to the cook. The captain 
now came forward, and, taking Willie in his arms, 
endeavored to ascertain the cause of his terror ; 


334 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


but Willie thrust his head under the captain’s 
coat, and cried, ‘MVolverene ! wolverene!” 

“ Cook,” said the captain, “ see if you can find 
out what ails him.” 

Come here, sonnie. Come to you fader, sonnie. 
Tell him all ’bout it.” 

Willie motioned to the cook to take him to the 
galley ; then he wanted him to shut the doors. 
The black shut the doors, and took Willie in his 
lap, who, flinging his arms around the cook’s neck, 
trembled and sobbed as though his heart would 
break. The captain waited the result outside. 

Willie, finding himself in the galley, and in the 
cook’s arms, at length calmed down, when it came 
out that he had never seen an old person, or any 
one that had gray or white hair or beard, in his 
life. Mr. Livingston had left all his old negroes on 
his plantation at the north part of the island, and 
commenced at the glen with a new set. When 
Willie made his first visit to the vessel, Henry 
Griffin, while telling him about bears, moose, and 
deer, had told him a great many stories about the 
strength and ferocity of the wolverenes; that the 
Indians themselves were afraid of them. The 
relation took strong hold of Willie’s imagination, 
and when he was thus suddenly brought face to 


WILLIE AND THE PILOT. 


335 


face with the pilot, he could think of nothing but 
a wolverene, at present the most fearful object he 
could imagine. Walter was both amused and con- 
cerned, for Willie’s grandfather was very gray, and 
had full whiskers ; and, if the child was going to 
esteem all old folks and white-headed ones wolver- 
enes, he apprehended trouble in the future. He 
concluded, however, that the best way was to 
leave it to time and the cook, and told the negro 
to endeavor to reconcile the child to the pilot. 

The black manifested an instinctive wisdom in 
the matter. He did not try to persuade Willie to 
come out, but shut him in, leaving one door a little 
way open, while he washed his dishes on the out- 
side. By and by Willie wiped up his tears, and 
began to talk; then he opened the door a little, 
and peeped out ; then he ventured out, when the 
cook washed the traces of tears from his face. 
Then he ventured to clamber up, and look over 
the long-boat, but instantly shrank back when he 
saw the pilot. He got up again, and looked a long 
time ; saw the pilot talking with the captain ; then 
saw the captain give the pilot a cigar, and at the 
same time heard him call to the cook for a light. 

Dere, sonnie ; see wha’ Ise gwine for do ; ’’ and, 
taking some coals on the fire-slH)vel, he went aft 


336 


THE CHILD OF THE ISLAND GLEN. 


Willie watched him till he saw the captain and the 
pilot light their cigars. The smoke came out of 
the pilot’s mouth just as it did out of the captain’s, 
and he heard him give orders to the mate and the 
helmsman. The moment Willie heard, him speak, 
he dismissed his fears, and told the cook he knew 
it was a man. The cook then in his fashion — and 
it seemed to be a fashion that Willie could under- 
stand better than that of any other person — told 
him that everybody, as they grew old, changed in 
appearance, and their hair and beard became gray 
or white, some more than others. He then ven- 
tured to go with the cook when he carried the 
dishes to the cabin ; and before night was play- 
ing horse ” on the tiller, and even sat next the pilot 
at supper. When the vessel hauled in to the wharf, 
and he accompanied the captain through the streets 
of Boston, he soon became accustomed to the sight 
of both old and gray-haired persons. 

The succeeding volume of the series, entitled 
John Godsoe’s Legacy, will inform our readers of 
many things as to the future of Willie and his 
father, we trust, both instructive and interesting. 


THE NORWOOD SERIES 


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2. Armstrong, F. C. — The Young Middy 

3. Barrows, Rev. William — Twelve Nights in a Hunter’s Camp 

4. Ballan^ne, R. M. — The Life Boat 

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9. The Lily and the Cross 

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13. Up the North Branch A Summer’s Outing 

14. Wild Woods Life or A Trip to Parmachenee 

15. Frost, John, LL.D. — Wild Scenes of a Hunter’s Life 

16. Hall, Capt. Charles W. — Twice Taken A Tale of Louis- 

burg 

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22. Old Stars The Life of Gen. Ormsby M. Mitchell 

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24. Kingston, W. H. K. — Anthony Waymouth 

25. Ernest Bracebridge or School Boy Days 

26. The Adventures of Dick Onslow among the Redskins 

27. The Cruise of the Frolic 

28. Lee, Mrs. R. — The African Crusoes 

29. The Australian Wanderers 

30. McCabe, Janies D., Jr. — Planting the Wilderness 

31. Macy, William H. — The Whales We Caught and How We 

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32. Morecamp, Arthur — Live Boys or Charlie and Nasho in 

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34. Pearson, Dr. C. H. — The Cabin on the Prairie 

35. The Young Pioneers of the Northwest 

36 Rowcroft, Charles — The Australian Crusoes 

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39. Magellan or The First Voyage around the World 

40. Marco Polo His Travels and Adventures 

41. Pizzaro His Adventures and Conquests 

42. Raleigh His Voyages and Adventures 

43. Vasco da Gama His Voyages and Adventures 

44. The Heroes and Martyrs of Invention 

45. Verne, Jules — A Winter in the Ice 

46. Around the World in Eighty Days 

47. The Wreck of the Chancellor 

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49. The Prairie Crusoe or Adventures in the Far West 

60. Willis the Pilot A Sequel to the Swiss Family Robinson 


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2. Border Boy A Popular Life 
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3. Daring D'eeds of the Revolution By Henry C. Watson 

4. Dora Darling or the Daughter of the Regiment By Jane G 

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6. Father of his Country A Popular Life of George Washington 

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7' Friend of Washington A Popular Life of General Lafayette 
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8. Great Men and Gallant Deeds By J. G. Edgar 

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14. Noble Deeds of American Women Edited by J. Clement 

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16. Old Hickory Life of Andrew Jackson By John Frost 

17. Old Rough and Ready Young Folks’ Life of Gen. Zachary 

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18. Pioneer Mothers of the West Daring and Heroic Deeds ot 

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Printer Boy or How Ben Franklin made his Mark 
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22. Quaker' among the Indians By Thomas C. Battey 

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By EDWARD STRATEMEYER, 

Author <(f ** The Bound to Succeed Seriesi* “ The Ship and Shore Series/* etc. 

Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.25. 

UNDER DEWEY AT MANILA Or the War Fortunes of 
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A YOUNG VOLUNTEER IN CUBA Or Fighting for the 
Single Star. 

FIGHTING IN CUBAN WATERS Or Under Schley on 
the Brooklyn. 

UNDER OTIS IN THE PHILIPPINES Or a Young Officer' 
in the Tropics. 

THE CAMPAIGN OF THE JUNGLE Or Under Lawton 
through Luzon. 


PRESS NOTICES. 

Under Dewey at Manila’ is a thoroughly timely book, in perfect sympathy with 
the patriotism of the day. Its title is conducive to its perusing, and i's reading to 
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right in line with the productions of that gifted and most fascinating of authors, and 
certainly there is every cause for congratulation that the stirring events ( f our recent 
war are not to lose their value for instruction through that valuable scho^,'! which the 
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“ Edward Stratemeyer, who is the author of the present work, has provid an extra- 
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“ ‘ The Young Volunteer in Cuba,’ the second of the Old Glory Series, is better 
than the first; perhaps it traverses more familiar ground. Ben Russell, th'v brother 
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and honesty and manliness^ which win their reward. A good book for boys, giving 
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RICHARD DARE^S VENTURE Or Striking Out for 
Himself. 

OLIVER BRIGHT»S SEARCH Or The Mystery of 
a Mine. 

TO ALASKA FOR GOLD Or The Fortune Hunters 
of the Yukon. 


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PEOPLE. 

“ In ‘ Richard Dare's Venture,’ Edward Stratemeyer has fully sustained his repu- 
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New York. 

“A breezy boy’s book is ‘ Oliver Bright’s Search.’ The author has a direct, graphic 
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A dvertiser. 

“ ‘ Richard Dare’s Venture ’ is a fresh, wholesome book to put into a boy’s hands.” 
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“ * Richard Dare’s Venture ’ is a wholesome story of a practical boy who made a 
way for himself when thrown upon his own resources.” — Christian Advocate. 

“It is such books as ‘Richard Dare’s Venture' that are calculated to inspire 
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walk in which to find that success. The author, Bldward Stratemeyer, has shown a 
judgment that is altogether too rare in the maker? of books for boys, in that he has 
avoided that sort of heroics in the picturing of the life of his hero which deals in 
adventures of the daredevil sort. In that respect alone the book commends itself to 
the favor of parents who have a regard for the education of their sons, but the story 
is sufficiently enlivening and often thrilling to satisfy the healthful desires of the 
young reader.” — Kansas City Star. 

“ Of standard writers of boys’ stories there is quit* * list, but those who have not 
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EVErtETT T. TOMLINSON 

THE AVAR OF 1812 SERIES 

By Everett T. Tomlinson Cloth 
Illustrated Per volume ^1.50 

Comprising 

The Search for Andrew Field 

The Boy Soldiers of 1812 

The Boy Officers 0 ! 1812 
Tecumseh’s Young Braves 

Guarding the Border 

The Boys with Old Hickory 

Mr. Tomlinson, who knows the “ ins and outs ” of boy nature by heart, 
is ^)ne of the most entertaining and at the same time one of the most in- 
structive of living writers of juvenile fiction. In his younger days a 
teacher by profession, he has made boys and their idiosyncrasies the ab- 
sorbing study of his life, and, with the accumulated experience of years to 
aid him, has applied himself to the task of preparing for their mental 
delectation a diet that shall be at once wholesome and attractive; and that 
his efforts in this laudable direction have been successful is conclusively 
proven by his popularity among boy readers. 

LIBRARY OF HEROIC EVENTS 

STORIES OF THE AMERICAN 
REVOLUTION 

First Series 

By Everett T. Tomlinson Cloth 
Illustrated ^i.oo 

STORIES OF THE AMERICAN 
REVOLUTION 

Second Series 

By Everett T. Tomlinson Cloth 
Illustrated $1.00 

Sold by all booksellers and sent prepaid on receipt of pri<\ 




I0EB AND SHEPARD Publishers Boston 


OLIVER OPTIC’S BOOKS 


All*Over-the- World liibrary. By Oliver Optic. First Series. 

Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.25. 

1. A Missing Million ; or, The Adventures of Louis Belgrade. 
3. A Millionaire at Sixteen ; or. The Cruise of the “ Guardian 
Mother.” 

3. A Young Knight Krrant; or. Cruising in the West Indies. 

4. Strange Sights Abroad ; or. Adventures in European Waters. 

No author has come before the public during the present generation who 
has achieved a larger and more deserving popularity among young people than 
“ Oliver Optic.” His stories have been very numerous, but they have been 
uniformly excellent in moral tone and literary quality. As indicated in the 
general title, it is the author’s intention to conduct the readers 01 this enter- 
taining series “ around the world.” As a means to this end, the hero of the 
story purchases a steamer which he names the “ Guardian Mother,” and 
with a number of guests she proceeds on her voyage, — Christian Work, N. K 

ALll«Over-the-World Ldbrary. By Oliver Optic. Second 
Series. Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.25. 

1, American Boys Afloat; or. Cruising in the Orient, 

3. Tbe Young Navigators; or. The Foreign Cruise of the 
“ Maud.” 

3. Up and Down the Nile ; or. Young Adventurers in Africa. 

4. Asiatic Breezes ; or. Students on the Wing. 

The interest in these stories is continuous, and there is a great variety of 
exciting incident woven into the solid information which the book imparts so 
generously and without the slightest suspicion of dryness. Manly boys 
will welcome this volume as cordially as they did its predecessors. — Boston 
Gazette, 


AU-Over-the-World Library. By Oliver Optic. Third Se^ 

ries. Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.25. 

1. Across India ; or. Live Boys in the Far East, 

3. Half Round the World ; or, Among the Uncivilized. 

3. Four Young Explorers ; or, Sight-Seeing in the Tropics. 

4. Pacific Shores; or, Adventures in Eastern Seas. 

Amid such new and varied surroundings it would be surprising indeed if the 
author, with his faculty of making even the commonplace attractive, did not 
tell an intensely interesting story of adventure, as well as give much informa- 
tion in regard to the distant countries through which our friends pass, and 
the strange peoples with whom they are brought in contact. This book, and 
indeed the whole series, is admirably adapted to reading aloud in the family 
circle, each volume containing matter which will interest all the members oi 
tkc family. — Boston Budget. 

VEE AND SHEPARD, BOSTON. SEND THEIR COMPLETE CATALOGUE FREE. 


OLIVER OPTIC’S BOOKS 


The Blue and the Gray — Afloat. By Oliver Optic. SH 
volumes. Illustrated. Beautiful binding in blue and grajj 
with emblematic dies. Cloth. Any volume sold separately. 
Price per volume, $1.50. 

1. Taken by the Enemy. 4. Stand by the Union. 

8. With in the Enemy’s liines. 6. FigThting^ for the_ Right, 

3. Ot; the Rlockade. ' 6. A Victorious Union. 

The Blue and the Gray — on Band. 

1 . Brother against Brother. 4. On the Staff. 

8. In the Saddle. 6. At the Front. 

3 . A Eieutenant at Eighteenc 6. An Undivided Union. 

** There never has been a more interesting writer in the field of juvenile 
literature than Mr. \V. T. Adams, who, under his well-known pseudonym, is 
known and admired by every boy and girl in the country, and by thousands 
who have long since passed the boundaries of youth, y^t who remember with 
pleasure the genial, interesting pen that did so much to interest, instruct, and 
entertain their younger years. ‘The Blue and the Gray’ is a title that is suf- 
ficiently indicative of the nature and spirit of the latest series, while the name 
of Oliver Optic is sufficient warrant of the absorbing style of narrative, This 
series is as bright and entertaining as any work that M’. Adams has yet put 
forth, and will be as eagerly perused as any that has borne his name. It would 
not be fair to the prospective reader to deprive him of the zest which comes 
from the unexpected by entering into a synopsis of the story. A word, how- 
ever, should be said in regard to the beauty and appropriateness of the binding, 
which makes it a most attractive volume.’* — Boston budget. 

Woodville Stories. By Oliver Optic. Six volumes. Illus- 
trated. Any volume sold separately. Price pe volume, $1.25. 

1. Rich and Humble; or. The Mission of Bertha Grant. 

2. In School and Out; or, The Conqijest of Richard Grant. 

3. Watch, and Wait; or. The Young Fugitives. 

4 . Work and Win; or. Noddy Newman on a Cruise. 

6. Hope and Have; or, Fanny Grant among the Indians 

6. Haste and Waste; or. The Young Pilot of Lake Champlain. 

“Though we are not so young as we once were, we relished these stories 
almost as much as the boys and girls for whom they were written. They we’’'* 
really refreshing, even to us. There is much in them which is calculated ia 
inspire a generous, healthy ambition, and to make distasteful all reading tend- 
ing to stimulate base desires.” — Fitchburg Reveille. 

The Starry Flag* Series. By Oliver Optic. In six volumes. 
Illustrated. Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, 
$1.25. 

1. The Starry Flag; or, The Young Fisherman of Cape Ann. 

2. Breaking Away; or. The Fortunes of a Student. 

3. Seek and Find; or, The Adventures of a Smart Boy. 

4 . Freaks of Fortune; or, Half round the World. 

6. Make or Break; or. The Rich Man’s Daughter. 

6. Down the River; or. Buck Bradford and the Tyrants. 

Mr. Adams, the celebrated and popular writer, familiarly known as Oliver 
Optic, seems to have inexhaustible funds for weaving together the virtues of 
life; and, notwithstanding he has written scores of books, the same freshness 
and novelty run through them all. Some people think the sensational element 
predominates. Perhaps it does. But a book fbr young people needs this, and 
SO long as good sentiments are inculcated such books ought to be read.’* 

LEE AND SHEPARD, BOSTON, SEND TiiElA COMPLETE CATALOGUE FREE, 


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OCT 27 1900 





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